LIBRARY 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


GIFT    OF 


U.^JHUU*^ .y-*4AA 

y     Wi¥ 


J.  J.  Curran  Writes  Novel 

of  California  in  Idle 

Hours. 


J.  J.  CURRAN. 

San  Jose  street  car  conduc 
published  a  novel  of 


Mr.  Foley  of  Salmon 


A  Story  of  Life  in  a  California 
Village 


BY  J.  J.  CURRAN 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  AUTHOR 

1907 

PRINTED  BY  MELVIN,  HILLIS  &  BLACK 
SAN  JOSE,  CALIFORNIA 


COPYRIGHTED,  1907,  BY 
J.  J.  CURRAN 


ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED 


OF.^v 

UIIW* 

:   R  A  FT  C  R  G  PfaUj    R  A  P  7 


CHAPTER  I 

THE  VILLAGERS  OF  SAWYERS  BAR  DECIDE  TO 
ENGAGE  A  LADY  TEACHER — MR.  DAVIS  Is 
SENT  ON  A  MISSION. 

THE  arrival  of  the  United  States  mail  at  Saw- 
yers Bar,  a  mining"  town  of  some  five  hundred 
inhabitants,  situated  in  Siskiyou  County,  the 
most  northern  county  in  the  great  State  of  California, 
was  an  event  of  more  than  ordinary  interest  to  the 
people  of  that  burg:  on  a  Saturday  in  the  month  of 
May  ;  the  major  portion  of  the  community  was  ar- 
rayed in  holiday  attire,  or  as  Mr.  Foley  remarked, 
had  their  "  store  clothes  "  on. 

The  cause  of  this  display  was  the  expected  com- 
ing of  a  lady  school  teacher,  the  first  in  the  history 
of  the  town,  so  the  appearance  of  the  mail  coach 
was  awaited  by  a  larger  concourse  than  usual.  Since 
the  establishment  of  the  District  up  to  the  present 
epoch,  a  male  pedagogue  had  presided  over  and 
taught  the  young  idea  how  to  shoot.  The  employ- 
ment of  a  lady  teacher  was  an  innovation  that  the 
parents  viewed  with  distrust  and  failed  to  see  the 
wisdom  of.  When  the  fiat  had  gone  forth  that  the 
Trustees  had  engaged  a  young  lady  from  San  Fran- 
cisco for  the  ensuing  term,  the  question  of  her  abil- 
ity to  discipline  the  pupils  had  been  argued  pro 
and  con  among  all  classes.  It  was  the  chief  topic 
of  conversation,  and  the  concensus  of  opinion  was 


\ « 

that  no  woman  was  equal  to  the  task,  for  Sawyers 
Bar  enjoyed  the  unenviable  reputation  of  being  the 
most  difficult  school  in  the  county  to  manage.  The 
register  showed  an  average  attendance  of  fifty 
scholars ;  among  this  number  were  some  boys  from 
14  to  17  years  of  age,  who  made  the  duration  of  the 
teacher  a  bane.  An  incumbent  who  succeeded  in 
staying  out  the  term,  never  applied  for  a  second,  so 
it  came  to  a  condition  that  it  was  next  to  impossible 
to  procure  a  teacher. 

Mr.  George  Davis  was  one  of  the  Trustees  and 
Clerk  of  the  Board.  On  this  memorable  occasion, 
as  the  time  for  opening  school  approached,  he  called 
a  meeting  of  the  Trustees  and  addressed  them  thus : 
"Gentlemen,  I  must  remind  you  that  it  is  nearing 
the  time  when  school  should  begin.  You  are 
familiar  with  these  facts,  viz :  that  our  school  is  a 
hard  proposition;  of  the  trouble  our  predecessors 
have  experienced  in  securing  teachers.  From  what 
I  can  learn,  there  is  no  competent  instructor  in  the 
county  who  desires  the  place  at  any  salary;  there 
is  no  citizen  of  this  District  who  wants  the  office 
of  Trustee.  You  are  aware  that  at  the  last  election 
the  position  literally  went  begging.  Affairs  have 
reached  a  crisis.  It's  up  to  us.  What  are  we  going 
to  do  about  it?  Have  you  a  remedy  to  suggest?" 

Mr.  Crane  suggested  they  follow  the  usual  custom 
and  try  to  employ  a  man.  Mr.  Knowlton,  the  third 
Trustee,  said  he  could  see  no  other  alternative. 


" Well/'  resumed  Mr.  Davis,  "I  propose  a  change ; 
that  is,  we  hire  a  lady." 

"A  woman  teach  this  school,"  exclaimed  Mr. 
Crane,  "it's  absurd.  Those  larger  boys  would  make 
it  intolerant  for  her,  and  I  doubt  if  she  would 
remain  a  month." 

Mr.  Knowlton  acquiesced  in  this  opinion. 

"Listen,"  said  Mr.  Davis,  "I  have  cogitated  on 
this  subject;  I  can  see  no  other  solution  but  to  try 
a  lady  teacher.  I  confess  it  will  be  an  experiment. 
In  the  past  the  men  have  exhausted  all  kinds  of 
means ;  moral  suasion  and  corporal  punishment 
have  availed  nothing.  Those  boys  have  been  sus- 
pended and  expelled  a  number  of  times.  On  promis- 
ing to  reform,  they  have  been  re-instated,  only  to 
resume  their  habits  of  mischief.  Complaints  have 
been  lodged  with  the  Trustees,  until  they  have 
become  annoyed  and  disgusted  with  the  whole 
business.  A  lady  for  teacher  I  am  determined  to 
have;  if  you  do  not  coincide  in  this  view,  I  will 
resign.  In  a  few  days  I  leave  for  the  Bay  City.  My 
friends  will  direct  me  to  select  a  competent  first 
grade  teacher.  Give  me  your  consent  in  this  matter 
and  I  will  assume  the  responsibility  and  onus 
should  it  result  in  disaster." 

"We  yield  to  your  logic.  Go  ahead;  we  will 
support  you.  Our  school  will  have  everything  to 
gain,  and  nothing  to  lose,"  replied  the  other 
Trustees. 

So  the  vexed  question  was  settled.  That  evening 
Mr.  Davis  conceived  the  idea  that  the  time  was 


opportune  to  acquaint  the  public  generally  with  the 
information.  He  sauntered  into  the  leading  resort, 
where  were  congregated  typical  representatives  of 
the  community.  He  saluted  all  affably;  exchanged 
a  few  pointers  on  the  weather,  and  discussed  the 
outlook  for  the  mines.  Fixing  his  gaze  upon  Mr. 
O'Brien,  the  father  of  the  most  incorrigible  boy,  he 
exclaimed:  "Did  you  hear  the  latest?"  Being 
answered  in  the  negative  he  continued:  "The 
Trustees  have  decided  to  engage  a  lady  to  teach 
this  school  the  coming  term/' 

"You  surely  don't  mean  it."  "You  are  springing 
a  joke  on  us,"  were  the  remarks  that  greeted  his 
ears. 

"Gentlemen,  I  was  never  more  in  earnest  in  my 
life."  As  he  perceived  several  were  about  to  speak, 
he  raised  his  hand  to  command  silence.  "Hear  me 
out.  I  can  anticipate  any  objection  or  argument 
you  are  about  to  make.  I  have  thoroughly  can- 
vassed the  question,  and  spent  some  time  pondering 
over  the  possibility  of  success  or  failure  of  the 
venture.  I  opine  that  an  experienced  lady  with  her 
gentle  ways  and  mild  discipline,  will  subdue  and 
captivate  the  pupils.  I  hope  the  future  will  fulfill 
this  prediction.  I  ask  you  to  reserve  your  decision 
until  we  have  given  the  lady  an  impartial  trial,  and 
place  no  obstacle  in  her  way.  Should  it  result  differ- 
ent from  what  I  have  prophesied,  I  assure  you  I 
will  come  to  you  and  candidly  acknowledge  I  have 
erred,  and  my  judgment  was  at  fault." 

8 


Mr.  Davis  was  a  voluble  speaker.  His  words 
carried  weight  and  conviction.  He  was  the  leading 
merchant  of  the  town,  highly  respected  by  all  and 
an  influential  man. 

"A  word  with  you,  Mr.  Davis,"  spoke  Mr. 
Foley.  "I  wish  you  would  secure  a  good  looking 
single  lady,  and  possibly  some  of  us  old  bachelors 
might  induce  her  to  take  another  name  and  pre- 
side over  a  miner's  domicile.  I  am  going  to  take 
time  by  the  forelock  and  announce  myself  as  a  can- 
didate for  matrimonial  honors  right  now."  This 
sally  evoked  laughter,  and  closed  the  incident  for 
the  time. 

Mr.  Davis  arrived  in  San  Francisco.  For  many 
years  he  had  purchased  merchandise  of  a  wholesale 
firm.  The  senior  partner  was  Mr.  Stevens.  When 
Mr.  Davis  had  finished  business  he  made  known  to 
Mr.  Stevens  his  commission  to  employ  a  teacher. 
He  gave  a  detailed  account  of  the  school,  and  what 
he  considered  it  required,  and  invoked  the  aid  of 
the  city  merchant.  Mr.  Davis  paused,  and  Mr. 
Stevens  made  answer :  "I  have  in  mind  the  identi- 
cal lady  that  will  suit  you.  You  will  be  truly 
fortunate  to  secure  her  services;  the  more  you 
become  acquainted  with  her  the  better  you  will  like 
her.  I  believe  you  will  be  delighted  with  her.  This 
young  lady's  name  is  Miss  May  Wilton.  I  have 
known  her  since  childhood,  and  I  regard  her  with 
almost  the  same  affection  that  I  feel  toward  my 
own  daughter.  She  is  a  most  estimable  lady,  and  is 
everything  you  could^  desire.  She  is  a  first  grade 


teacher,  and  has  been  employed  in  the  Public 
School  in  Oakland  for  the  past  four  years.  She 
wishes  a  change.  Only  last  week  she  came  to  me 
and  said,  'I  would  like  a  position  in  some  remote 
place;  if  you  hear  of  any  such,  please  notify  me/ 
She  has  experienced  trouble  for  which  she  is  not 
responsible.  To  conclude,  she  is  a  frank,  honorable 
young  lady."  Mr.  Davis  replied,  "  I  am  perfectly 
satisfied  with  your  recommendation  and  eulogy  of 
the  lady.  Arrange  a  meeting  between  us,  and  I 
guarantee  a  situation  awaits  her,  and  that  so  far  as 
the  Trustees  are  able,  she  will  be  well  treated  and 
taken  care  of."  Said  Mr.  Stevens,  "  I  know  her 
address  and  will  send  for  her.  Come  here  tomorrow 
at  2  p.  m.  and  I  will  introduce  you." 

On  the  following  day,  at  the  appointed  hour,  Mr. 
Davis  wended  his  way  to  the  private  office  of  Mr. 
Stevens.  This  gentleman  had  specially  named  an 
hour  earlier  for  Miss  Wilton  to  call  at  his  office, 
in  order  to  give  information  and  prepare  her  for 
the  interview.  He  met  Mr.  Davis  with  a  cheery, 
"How  are  you  today,  sir?  You  are  punctual,"  and 
escorted  him  to  where  a  lady  was  seated,  evidently 
awaiting  the  meeting.  As  the  two  men  approached 
she  arose  to  an  erect  position.  Mr.  Stevens  took  the 
lady  by  the  hand  in  a  fatherly  way,  saying,  "Permit 
me,  Miss  Wilton,  to  introduce  to  you  my  friend, 
Mr.  Davis.  Mr.  Davis,  one  of  my  dearest  lady 
friends,  Miss  Wilton,  of  whom  I  spoke  to  you." 
She  extended  her  hand  graciously  and  said,  "I  am 
pleased  to  make  your  acquaintance,  Mr.  Davis." 

10 


This  gentleman  managed  to  ejaculate,  "I  am 
delighted  to  meet  you,  Miss  Wilton."  Then  he 
collapsed  into  silence.  An  hypnotic  spell  seized 
him.  He  had  expected  to  see  an  ordinary  lady  of 
passable  appearance,  but  was  not  prepared  for  the 
feminine  loveliness  that  burst  upon  his  vision. 

She  was  above  the  medium  in  stature.  Her 
avoirdupois  was  approximately  130  pounds.  The 
superb  mass  of  dark  brown  hair  lay  in  glossy  folds 
above  the  perfect  brow.  The  dark  eyes  glowed  with 
that  beauty  which  comes  from  a  cultured  mind. 
They  were  orbs  that  seemed  to  hold  one  spell-bound 
when  focused  upon  them.  Her  nose  would  be 
termed  Roman.  Her  mouth  was  a  small,  delicately 
chiseled  aperture  of  the  rosebud  order.  She  was 
attired  in  a  tailor-made  suit  of  the  latest  fashion; 
the  fabric  revealed  the  slender,  graceful  and  rounded 
outlines  of  symmetry  and  youth. 

Mr.  Stevens  had  given  no  intimation  to  Mr.  Davis 
of  her  beauty,  and  enjoyed  his  embarrassment.  Mr. 
Davis  was  brought  to  a  realization  of  the  present 
by  Mr.  Stevens  enquiring:  "Are  you  content  with 
the  profile  of  my  friend?"  "I  am  most  agreeably 
surprised;  you  have  sprung  a  sensation  on  me," 
responded '  Mr.  Davis.  To  Miss  Wilton  he  said, 
"Pardon  my  absent-mindedness,  I  trust  we  may 
become  better  acquainted  and  loyal  friends,"  Mr. 
Stevens  withdrew,  leaving  them  to  discuss  the 
business  for  which  they  had  met. 

"Miss  Wilton,  I  presume  Mr.  Stevens  has  im- 
parted to  you  the  nature  of  my  errand,  and  prepared 

11 


you  for  what  I  am  about  to  say."  She  bowed  in 
the  affirmative.  "I  tender  you  the  position  of 
teacher  for  the  Sawyers  Bar  school.  If  you  accept 
you  will  have  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  lady 
to  preside  as  tutor."  He  was  candid,  and  disclosed 
the  vexatious  features.  "The  Trustees  will  give 
you  every  support  in  their  power.  It  is  no  sinecure, 
but  I  feel  confident  you  will  succeed.  I  would 
wager  my  existence  on  your  mastering  those  turbu- 
lent scholars.  Your  salary  will  be  $90.00  per  month. 
A  term  is  from  8  to  10  months  duration,  depending 
upon  the  weather.  Two  days  hence  I  wish  to  leave 
for  home.  If  this  is  satisfactory  and  you  can  be 
ready,  I  will  be  pleased  to  have  you  accompany  me. 
We  wish  to  commence  school.  Will  you  accept? 
Are  you  prepared  to  answer  ?" 

Not  for  a  moment  did  she  hesitate.  Looking  him 
calmly  in  the  face,  she  replied :  "I  will  be  ready.  I 
will  go." 

"The  train  starts  from  the  Oakland  mole  at  6:30 
p.  m.  Do  you  prefer  that  I  shall  call  at  ypur  resi- 
dence, or  will  you  meet  me?"  inquired  Mr.  Davis. 

"I  will  be  in  the  waiting  room  at  the  appointed 
time,"  answered  Miss  Wilton. 

They  exchanged  good-byes  and  separated.  The 
6:00  p.  m.  ferry  boat  across  the  Bay  carried  Mr. 
Davis.  On  arriving  at  the  mole,  he  went  direct  to 
the  waiting  room.  His  eyes  were  gladdened  by  a 
sight  of  Miss  Wilton,  arrayed  in  a  gray  traveling 
costume,  and  ready  for  the  journey.  Seizing  her 

12 

I     ft 


hand,  he  exclaimed,  "Seeing  you  here  has  restored 
my  tranquility.  I  feared  you  might  reconsider  your 
decision." 

Returning  his  greeting,  she  made  answer:  "As  a 
rule  I  am  not  vacillating.  I  know  it  is  attributed  to 
our  sex,  but  unless  there  are  reasons,  I  do  not  alter 
my  mind." 

"Have  you  a  ticket,  and  how  much  baggage  have 
you  ?"  he  enquired. 

"A  trunk  and  hand  satchel.  I  have  not  purchased 
a  ticket,  as  I  was  ignorant  of  our  destination." 

He  sought  the  office;  bought  two  tickets  for 
Montague ;  saw  that  her  baggage  was  checked, 
and  returned  to  the  waiting  room.  Miss  Wilton 
enquired  as  to  the  amount  of  her  ticket  and  offered 
to  reimburse  him,  but  he  assured  her  that  it  was 
part  of  the  agreement  between  the  Trustees  that 
they  should  defray  her  expenses  to  Sawyers  Bar. 
This  appeased  her.  Taking  her  satchel,  he  said, 
"We  had  better  select  seats  and  make  ourselves 
comfortable." 

The  north-bound  train  pulled  out  on  time.  As 
Oakland  receded  in  the  distance  a  wistful  expression 
was  perceptible  upon  the  countenance  of  Miss  Wil- 
ton. Her  thoughts  were  reminiscent  of  the  many 
happy  years  spent  there  and  of  the  cheerful  home, 
loving  relatives  and  kind  friends  she  was  leaving 
behind.  Two  tiny  tears  hovered  for  an  instant,  but 
were  obliterated  by  the  speedy  use  of  her  handker- 
chief. Noticing  her  dejected  manner,  Mr.  Davis 
sought  to  divert  her  mind  by  entering  upon  a 

13 


description  of  the  country  they  were  going  to,  and 
the  people  she  would  come  in  contact  with.  He 
impressed  upon  her  that  the  usages  in  the  mines 
were  somewhat  at  variance  from  what  she  had  been 
accustomed  to  in  the  city.  He  gave  advice  that 
would  benefit  her  in  her  vocation.  "Whenever  you 
are  perplexed  or  in  trouble,  come  or  send  for  me.  I 
wish  you  to  rely  on  me  and  consider  me  your  true 
friend."  "Thank  you  very  much,  Mr.  Davis.  I  shall 
certainly  do  so  if  an  occasion  requires,  but  I  hope 
for  smooth  sailing.  I  shall  not  borrow  trouble  nor 
cross  the  bridge  before  it  is  reached." 

They  conversed  on  different  subjects;  the  beau- 
tiful scenery,  the  luxury  and  comfort  of  travel  at 
the  present  time  as  compared  with  the  hardships 
endured  by  Pioneers  some  fifty  years  ago;  praised 
the  energy  and  up-to-date  methods  of  the  people  of 
the  Golden  State,  and  mutually  agreed  that  nowhere 
on  the  face  of  the  universe  was  there  a  paradise 
equal  to  California.  Mr.  Davis  looked  at  his  watch 
and  found  the  time  to  be  10  p.  m.  "I  have  secured 
a  berth  in  the  Pullman  for  you.  Whenever  you  wish 
to  retire,  I  will  call  the  colored  attendant."  "I  am 
somewhat  fatigued  from  the  labor  incident  to  pack- 
ing and  preparation  for  this  journey,  so  I  will  avail 
myself  of  your  kind  thoughtfulness,"  said  Miss 
Wilton. 

Mr.  Davis  went  in  quest  of  the  ebony-hued  son 
of  Africa;  found  him,  and  returned  to  Miss  Wilton. 
They  bade  each  other  good  night.  Mr.  Davis 
sought  the  smoking  car  to  indulge  in  a  soothing 

14 


weed  before  seeking  his  couch.  As  he  watched  the 
smoke  from  the  cigar  curl  upwards,  he  was  in  a 
reverie.  The  object  of  his  train  of  thought  was  Miss 
Wilton.  He  surmised  she  had  a  lover  who  in  some 
manner  had  gotten  into  the  clutches  of  the  law  and 
was  the  cause  of  her  leaving  home ;  that  she  believed 
him  innocent  and  was  constant  to  him,  Mr.  Davis 
had  no  doubt.  "She  is  the  handsomest  young  lady 
I  ever  met,  and  will  create  a  surprise  at  Sawyers 
Bar.  All  the  unmarried  men  will  be  at  her  feet.  It 
will  be  a  damper  on  their  wooing  when  they  find 
out  she  has  a  lover."  Having  settled  the  problem  to 
his  satisfaction,  he  became  conscious  of  a  drowsy 
feeling,  and  sought  the  sleeping  car. 

The  next  morning  he  arose,  dressed,  performed 
his  ablution,  and  went  into  the  passenger  car.  He 
found  Miss  Wilton  had  forestalled  him,  and  was 
occupied  in  reading  the  paper.  With  a  pleasant 
smile  and  "Good  morning,  Mr.  Davis,  I  hope  you 
enjoyed  a  refreshing  sleep,"  she  made  room  for  him 
by  her  side.  "Yes,  indeed,"  he  answered,  "I  must 
have  slept  as  fast  as  the  car  traveled;  nothing  dis- 
turbed my  slumbers.  You  look  as  bright  and  fresh 
as  a  daisy,  Miss  Wilton."  "Yes,  my  looks  must  be 
an  index  to  my  feelings.  I  feel  revived  and  ever 
so  much  better."  The  colored  porter  announced 
breakfast. 

As  Mr.  Davis  and  Miss  Wilton  entered  the  dining 
car,  he  became  cognizant  that  numerous  eyes  were 
directed  towards  them.  He  readily  divined  that  his 
fair  companion  was  the  object  of  their  scrutiny.  On 

15 


the  preceding  evening  when  they  took  passage,  she 
was  veiled  and  her  features  concealed  from  view. 
This  morning  she  had  removed  the  covering,  and 
her  perfectly  lovely  physique  stood  revealed  to  the 
fellow  passengers.  Mr.  Davis  enjoyed  the  conspic- 
uous role  he  was  enacting,  of  associate  to  the  hand- 
some young  lady,  and  the  envious  glances  of  the 
male  passengers  did  not  disconcert  him  during  the 
progress  of  the  meal.  Mr.  Davis  informed  Miss 
Wilton  that  if  the  train  was  on  time  they  would 
arrive  at  Montague  at  2 :3O  p.  m.  "Can  I  help  you 
to  anything  more?"  he  asked.  "No,  thank  you;  in 
the  language  of  the  lady  from  the  hub  of  the 
universe,  I  have  allayed  the  clamorous  cravings  of 
a  rapacious  appetite  until  an  inner  sense  of  justice 
admonishes  me  to  say  I  have  had  an  ample 
sufficiency;  any  more  would  be  a  redundant  super- 
fluity." Back  to  the  passenger  car  went  the  lady 
and  gentleman.  At  dinner  time  neither  felt  an 
inclination  for  food.  The  train  sped  on,  also  the 
time.  The  whistle  blew  a  signal  for  approaching 
a  town.  "This  is  where  we  change  cars,"  said  Mr. 
Davis. 

A  branch  road  from  Yreka  to  Montague  met  the 
Southern  Pacific  passenger  trains,  north  and  south 
bound.  They  secured  seats  and  were  conveyed  to 
Yreka,  a  distance  of  eight  miles,  in  about  15  minutes. 
Yreka  is  the  County  Seat  of  Siskiyou.  It  is  a  pros- 
perous thriving  city  of  2,500  inhabitants.  Siskiyou 
County  is  famed  for  its  gold  mines  and  agricultural 
resources.  A  daily  stage  line  connected  with  the 

16 


train,  and  carried  passengers  and  mail  to  Etna 
Mills,  32  miles.  On  this  coach  Miss  Wilton  and 
Mr.  Davis  embarked.  At  6  p.  m.  Fort  Jones  was 
reached,  where  the  stage  stopped  for  supper  and  to 
change  horses.  This  is  a  well-to-do  town  situated 
in  the  center  of  Scott's  Valley  and  contiguous  to  a 
rich  mining  section.  Our  passengers  had  developed 
an  appetite  and  sought  the  nearest  hotel  where  they 
did  justice  to  the  repast.  The  driver  announced 
"All  aboard/'  and  the  journey  was  continued.  He 
was  a  taciturn  individual  who  attended  strictly  to 
business.  He  ventured  no  assertions,  but  sawed 
wood. 

A  cluster  of  lights  were  discerned  at  8  p.  m. 
"That  is  Etna  Mills/'  said  Mr.  Davis,  "where  we 
tarry  for  the  night."  In  a  brief  space  of  time  the 
coach  drew  on  to  the  main  street  and  halted  before 
the  leading  hotel.  Mr.  Davis  sought  the  landlord 
and  engaged  the  best  suite  of  rooms  for  Miss  Wil- 
ton. The  landlady  appeared  and  assured  Mr.  Davis 
that  the  best  in  the  house  would  be  provided  for  the 
young  lady.  As  he  bade  her  good-night  he  re- 
marked, "Tomorrow  we  complete  the  stage  ride  and 
reach  our  destination."  He  made  use  of  the  tele- 
phone, sending  a  message  to  Sawyers  Bar  saying 
the  lady  teacher  and  himself  would  arrive  the  fol- 
lowing day.  He  procured  for  the  lady  and  self  the 
outside  seats  on  the  coach. 

The  next  morning  he  entered  the  parlor,  where 
his  companion  was  waiting.  They  repaired  to  the 
dining-room,  where  breakfast  was  served.  "So 

17 


today  ends  our  itineracy.  I  am  pleased;  not 
but  what  I  have  enjoyed  the  traveling,  for  you  have 
been  very  attentive  and  provided  me  with  every 
comfort,  but  I  am  anxious  to  see  my  new  home,  be- 
come acquainted  with  the  people  and  win  the  esteem 
and  confidence  of  the  pupils,"  said  the  lady.  "If 
you  accomplish  this,  you  will  have  done  what  no 
masculine  pedagogue  has  ever  effected.  Now  let 
us  prepare  for  the  start/'  said  Mr.  Davis.  The 
coach  was  ready.  He  introduced  the  driver  to  Miss 
Wilton,  saying:  "This  is  Mr.  Foster,  he  is  to  be 
our  pilot  today.  Our  lives  to  a  great  extent  are  in 
his  keeping.  You  need  have  no  fears/' 

"I  always  am  on  my  best  behavior  when  I  have 
lady  passengers.  I  am  like  the  balance  of  mankind, 
partial  to  the  society  of  the  gentler  sex.  As  Hauk 
Monk  said  to  Horace  Greely :  If  you  keep  your 
seats,  I  will  get  you  there  on  time,"  spoke  the  Jehu. 

The  lady  was  assisted  to  a  seat.  Mr.  Foster  gath- 
ered the  ribbons,  swung  the  whip  to  the  breeze 
with  a  resounding  whack ;  the  team  struck  into  a 
trot,  and  Etna  Mills  was  soon  left  behind. 

Jack  Foster  was  a  loquacious  person.  Before  the 
completion  of  the  railroad  from  Redding  to  Port- 
land he  was  in  the  employ  of  the  California  and 
Oregon  Stage  Company  for  awhile.  He  drove  on 
a  route  from  Redding  to  Weaverville.  He  had  been 
held  up  twice ;  once  supposed  to  be  by  the  Ruggles 
Brothers,  who  were  afterwards  lynched  by  a  throng 
of  indignant  citizens  for  shooting  a  Wells-Fargo 
messenger ;  and  once  by  Black  Bart,  styled  the 

18 


Prince  of  Highwaymen.  Bart  was  a  polite  knight 
of  the  road  who  prefaced  his  request  to  throw  out 
the  treasure  box  by  remarking:  "Sorry  to  detain 
you,  but  I  need  the  contents  of  that  box  in  my 
business."  When  the  box  was  delivered,  Bart  would 
add:  "If  you  see  the  Chief  of  Detectives,  Mr. 
Hume,  convey  to  him  my  kindest  regards. " 

From  Etna  Mills  to  the  summit  of  Salmon  Moun- 
tain is  a  gradual  ascent  of  nine  miles.  The  progress 
of  the  coach  was  necessarily  slow.  It  was  a  magni- 
ficent day  in  spring.  The  air  was  redolent  with  the 
aroma  of  wild  flowers  which  grew  in  profusion 
along  the  way  side.  Birds  of  many  varieties  and 
gorgeous  plumage  in  their  native  element  sang 
their  carols  from  tree  and  bush.  The  driver  was  in 
an  amiable  mood.  He  regaled  the  company  with 
many  amusing  anecdotes.  He  had  a  store  of  in- 
teresting information.  The  road  wound  around 
a  precipitous  incline,  which  sloped  upwards  and 
back  hundreds  of  feet.  "Right  here,"  said  he,  "is 
where  two  men  were  overtaken  by  a  snow  slide  and 
had  the  life  crushed  out  of  them.  It  was  in  the  winter 
season,  when  the  trip  over  this  mountain  can  only 
be  made  on  Norwegian  or  Ski  snow-shoes. 
These  men  were  familiar  with  the  mountains  and 
the  dangerous  places  where  slides  are  liable  to 
occur.  It  was  the  custom  to  make  a  detour  and 
cross  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  creek;  this  was  a 
circuitous  and  somewhat  longer  distance  than  to 
pass  directly  under  Granite  Slide,  as  this  is  called. 

19 


The  mail  carrier  had  passed  in  advance  of  them, 
and  had  taken  the  shorter  way.  It  is  presumed  they 
were  anxious  to  overtake  him,  so  followed  his  lead. 
They  had  reached  this  point  when  an  immense  body 
of  snow  descended  and  caught  them.  The  mail 
carrier  was  aware  the  men  were  following.  When 
he  reached  Etna  Mills  he  reported;  after  a  reason- 
able time  elapsed  and  they  failed  to  put  in  an  ap- 
pearance, the  citizens  feared  they  had  met  disaster. 
A  large  party  started.  When  they  arrived  at 
Granite  Slide,  a  huge  avalanche  of  snow  was  per- 
ceived. They  surmised  the  men  were  under  it,  so 
set  to  work  digging.  After  uncovering  twenty  feet 
in  depth,  they  found  the  bodies  of  the  two  men.  Life 
was  extinct." 

One  mile  from  the  summit  a  cabin  was  sighted. 
"That  is  the  mail  carrier's.  In  it  are  kept  a  stove, 
dry  wood  and  provisions.  It  has  done  noble  service 
in  the  past.  A  number  of  men  who  knew  of  its 
presence,  and  were  nearly  exhausted,  owe  the  pres- 
ervation of  their  lives  to  its  hospitality.  It  is  com- 
pletely covered  by  snow  in  winter.  You  will  notice 
those  trees  growing  alongside,  and  the  deep  cuts  in 
them.  These  are  guides,  to  show  the  precise  loca- 
tion of  the  cabin.  Wishing  to  enter,  a  man  digs 
down,  finds  the  door  which  opens  from  the  outside, 
builds  a  fire,  partakes  of  the  food,  passes  a  com- 
fortable night,  and  the  next  morning  is  able  to  pro- 
ceed/' 

The  summit  was  reached.  A  halt  was  made  to 
give  the  passengers  a  view  of  the  scenery.  To  the 

20 


west,  in  the  direction  they  were  going,  could  be  seen 
the  Salmon  River,  winding  its  way  through  a 
rugged  canyon,  gliding  onward  to  the  sea.  The 
sun  reflecting  upon  its  waters,  cast  a  bright  light, 
dazzling  the  eyes  with  its  silvery  sheen.  As  the 
road  went,  the  distance  to  where  this  stream  was 
discernible  was  fourteen  miles.  To  the  east  could 
be  perceived  Mount  Shasta,  towering  in  its  majestic 
glory,  its  apex  covered  with  snow,  the  boast  of  the 
State,  the  highest  mountain  in  California. 

Scott's  Valley  could  be  seen  to  its  best  advantage. 
Nicely  laid  out  farms,  thrifty  in  appearance,  greeted 
the  vision.  To  the  north  and  south  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach  mountains  and  chains  of  mountains 
seemed  to  vie  with  each  other  for  eminence,  their 
sides  covered  with  growths  of  splendid  timber  of 
different  species.  Here  and  there  ice  cold  springs 
and  creeks  of  limpid  water  sprang  into  existence. 
Could  a  person  be  invested  with  power  to  transplant 
one  of  these  sparkling  streams  in  proximity  to  a 
great  city  like  New  York  or  San  Francisco,  he 
would  possess  a  greater  bonanza  than  the  Standard 
Oil  Company  or  a  gold  mine.  The  altitude  from 
which  they  gazed  is  some  six  thousand  feet.  Miss 
Wilton  went  into  raptures  over  the  magnificent 
panorama  spread  before  her.  "Never  have  I  beheld 
such  a  grand  view  of  nature's  works.  My  command 
of  language  is  inadequate  to  properly  portray  it.  I 
shall  retain  a  vivid  recollection  of  what  I  have  seen 
today  as  long  as  memory  lasts.  Some  writers  have 

21 


advised  to  "See  Venice  and  die/'  but  my  advice  to 
them  is  to  see  Salmon  Mountain  and  live." 

Having  expressed  satisfaction  with  the  feast  of 
scenery,  the  driver  inspected  the  coach,  team  and 
harness  and  found  all  in  good  condition.  They 
remounted  and  began  the  descent.  Glancing  to- 
wards the  lady,  Mr.  Foster  said:  "I  trust  you  are 
not  timid.  We  are  a  little  behind  time,  having 
tarried  on  the  summit.  Put  your  faith  in  Provi- 
dence, and  incidentally  in  me,  and  we  will  make  up 
the  deficiency." 

"The  assurance  given  me  of  your  skill  would 
allay  any  fear  I  might  have,"  answered  the  lady. 
The  manipulator  of  the  reins  spoke  to  the  team. 
They  responded  with  vigor.  When  a  curve  was  to 
be  rounded,  he  applied  the  brake,  uttered  a  caution, 
"steady  there,"  and  instantly  their  gait  slackened. 
When  the  danger  spot  was  passed,  he  would  again 
address  them,  "All  right,  go  ahead."  They  responded 
with  a  faster  motion.  He  regulated  their  speed  by 
the  tone  of  his  voice.  He  maintained  perfect  con- 
trol of  the  horses.  They  understood  what  was  re- 
quired ;  he  was  kind  and  never  abused  them ;  it  was 
rarely  that  any  of  the  team  felt  the  lash.  Miss 
Wilton  noticed  this,  and  remarked :  "Mr.  Foster, 
there  seems  to  be  a  mutual  agreement  between  you 
and  the  animals."  "Yes,  we  have  confidence  in  each 
other.  I  treat  them  right  and  they  appreciate  it." 

Some  buildings  loomed  up  in  the  distance.  "That 
is  the  Mountain  House  where  we  stop  for  dinner." 
The  hostelry  reached,  the  passengers  alighted.  A 
22 


large  watering  trough,  filled  with  delicious  nectar, 
was  a  commodity  of  the  Inn.  The  horses  were  anx- 
ious to  slake  their  thirst,  but  were  restrained  by 
check  reins.  "Oh,  let  them  drink,  Mr.  Foster;  it 
seems  cruel  to  deny  them  when  they  seem  so 
thirsty,"  spoke  Miss  Wilton.  "We  have  traveled 
seven  miles  in  a  trifle  less  than  an  hour,  which  is 
going  some  when  it  comes  to  mountain  staging ;  they 
are  heated ;  if  I  allowed  them  to  drink  now  of  this 
cold  water,  it  might  produce  colic  or  founder  them," 
answered  the  Jehu.  "Pardon  me,  I  was  ignorant 
of  the  results,  and  actuated  by  kindly  motives."  "I 
took  no  offense,  as  I  knew  you  were  prompted  by 
•mercy,"  answered  the  driver. 

They  went  in  to  dinner.  The  meal  over,  the 
genial  Mr.  Foster  loosened  the  checks.  The  animals 
buried  their  muzzles  in  the  refreshing  fluid,  im- 
bibing large  draughts.  When  their  thirst  was 
appeased,  the  reins  were  adjusted,  the  passengers 
climbed  to  their  seats,  and  the  coach  moved  along. 

They  were  passing  through  the  rich  mining  sec- 
tion of  Russian  Creek,  which  yielded  a  vast  amount 
of  shining  gold.  Ever  and  anon  a  cabin  was  seen,  the 
home  of  some  industrious  miner  striving  to  increase 
the  circulating  medium.  "We  are  verging  on  the 
home  stretch,  and  in  a  short  time  will  arrive  at 
Sawyers  Bar.  I  believe  it  is  time  to  decorate,"  said 
the  driver,  as  he  brought  the  team  to  a  standstill. 
From  under  the  seat  he  produced  four  American 
flags,  and  fastened  one  in  each  head  stall  of  the 
bridle,  behind  the  horses'  ears. 

23 


Miss  Wilton  looked  in  amazement.  "Mr.  Poster, 
I  am  curious  to  know  what  is  the  occasion  for  this 
display?"  "It  is  in  your  honor,  and  if  I  mistake  not, 
you  will  see  further  evidence  when  we  reach  the 
town/'  he  made  answer.  Regaining  his  seat  once 
more,  they  moved  along,  and  after  an  interval  swung 
around  a  bend  and  came  in  sight  of  the  principal 
street  which  was  a  moving  mass  of  humanity. 


24 


CHAPTER  II 

AN  IMPORTANT  EVENT  AT  SAWYERS  BAR — 
ARRIVAL  OF  Miss  WILTON,  THE  NEW 
TEACHER. 

MR.  FOLEY  RELATES  SOME  INTERESTING 
ANECDOTES  AND  WINS  THE  ADMIRATION 
OF  Miss  WILTON. 

IN  retrospect  let  me  take  the  reader  to  the  opening 
chapter  of  this  narrative,  when  the  good  people 
were  patiently  awaiting  the  arrival  of  this  par- 
ticular mail  coach. 

As  the  pace  of  the  team  slackened,  Mr.  Davis 
said:  "Miss  Wilton,  no  doubt  you  wonder  at  this 
assemblage.  They  were  apprised  of  your  coming. 
As  you  are  the  first  lady  to  engage  to  teach  this 
school,  they  have  turned  out  to  pay  you  homage; 
in  brief,  they  are  going  to  give  you  an  ovation  and 
welcome.  Do  not  be  surprised  at  what  you  see  or 
hear." 

The  coach  came  to  a  halt  in  front  of  the  Post 
Office,  and  the  journey  was  at  an  end.  Mr.  Davis 
assisted  the  lady  to  alight.  A  tall,  dignified  gentle- 
man stepped  forward  and  was  introduced  to  Miss 
Wilton  as  "Judge  Barnes,  who  looks  after  the  peace 
and  law  of  our  town."  Hat  in  hand,  with  a  bow 
that  would  have  done  credit  to  a  Chesterfield,  His 

25 


Honor  exclaimed:  "I  am  delighted  to  make  your 
acquaintance,  Miss  Wilton.  I  am  delegated  by  the 
citizens  of  Sawyers  Bar  to  extend  to  you  a  cordial 
welcome  and  the  entire  freedom  of  our  burg.  We 
hope  your  stay  among  us  will  be  both  pleasant  and 
profitable.  Now  allow  me  to  present  to  you  my 
friend,  Mr.  Foley,  who  is  the  pride  of  Salmon,  as 
a  story  teller  he  is  without  a  peer,  as  a  reconnois- 
seur  he  knocks  the  persimmon." 

"Miss  Wilton,  I  feel  highly  honored  by  being  in- 
troduced to  you.  I  trust  we  may  become  friends. 
The  judge  has  given  me  a  flattering  reputation,  but 
I  beseech  you  not  to  take  him  seriously.  He  is  from 
Missouri,  the  'show  me'  State.  I  voice  his  senti- 
ments in  greeting  you.  The  public,  irrespective  of 
nationality,  creed  or  politics,  welcomes  you,"  spoke 
Mr.  Foley. 

"Ladies  and  gentlemen  :  I  did  not  anticipate  such 
an  exhibition  of  good  feeling  on  the  part  of  the 
inhabitants  of  your  town.  I  feel  grateful  and  deeply 
•moved  by  your  kind  expressions.  It  will  be  no  fault 
of  mine  if  we  do  not  become  friends,"  replied  Miss 
Wilton. 

Other  introductions  followed.  Men,  women  and 
children  were  desirous  of  meeting  the  new  school 
ma'am.  The  ubiquitous  small  boy  was  in  evidence. 
One  kept  edging  and  pushing  his  way  to  the  front, 
saying:  "Let  me  look  at  the  teacher."  The  lady 
heard,  and  went  to  meet  him.  "This  is  Willie  Cole, 
who  will  be  one  of  your  pupils,"  said  Mr.  Davis. 
She  took  Willie  by  the  hand  and  asked :  "Willie, 

26 


how  old  are  you?"  "I  was  seven  years  old  last 
birthday."  "Do  you  go  to  school  every  day?" 
"Yes,  Miss.  Will  you  let  us  play  marbles  for 
keeps?"  "I  will  let  you  play  marbles,  but  the  keeps 
proposition  we  will  talk  over  later  on."  She  picked 
Willie  up,  imprinted  a  kiss  on  his  lips,  then  set  him 
down.  The  people  broke  into  a  ringing  cheer ;  this 
act  had  captivated  the  crowd. 

"No  high-toned  airs  about  her.  She  ain't  afraid 
to  kiss  a  kid,"  said  Claw  Hammer  Jack.  "Fellow 
citizens :  Miss  Wilton  has  traveled  a  long  way  and 
is  tired ;  you  will  all  meet  her  again,  so  please  excuse 
her  for  the  present." 

Mr.  Davis  and  the  lady  took  their  way  to  the 
hotel,  where  accommodations  were  secured  for  Miss 
Wilton.  He  bade  her  good  night  and  went  to  his 
store. 

He  was  soon  the  center  of  a  group  who  called  to 
pay  their  respects.  "Mr.  Davis,  you  deserve  a 
premium  for  having  secured  such  a  beautiful  young 
lady,"  exclaimed  several.  "She  is  as  good  as  she  is 
pretty,"  answered  the  merchant. 

The  following  day  he  called  at  the  hotel,  met  the 
lady  and  expressed  a  wish  that  she  was  rested. 
"Yes,  I  enjoyed  a  refreshing  sleep."  "I  presume 
you  would  like  to  visit  the  school  house?"  he  ques- 
tioned. "Nothing  would  please  me  more,"  came  the 
reply. 

The  building  was  situated  upon  a  slight  elevation 
surrounded  by  a  flat.  It  was  quiet  and  an  ideal  spot 
for  a  school.  A  walk  of  ten  minutes  brought  them 

27 


to  the  house.  Mr.  Davis  produced  the  key,  unlocked 
the  door,  and  they  entered.  It  was  a  commodious 
structure.  As  the  lady  took  in  the  furnishing  and 
appointments  of  the  room,  she  was  surprised  and 
pleased.  "I  had  not  thought  your  school  house  was 
so  modern  and  up  to  date.  Everything  is  nicely 
arranged.  It  is  a  credit  to  your  citizens."  She 
mentioned  some  changes  she  would  like  to  have 
done.  "Any  repairs  you  may  suggest  will  be 
promptly  attended  to.  Mr.  Foley  is  a  carpenter  and 
handy  man.  I  will  instruct  him  and  if  you  care  to 
come,  you  can  oversee  the  work,"  said  Mr.  Davis. 
"I  will  do  so  with  pleasure."  They  looked  over  the 
appurtenant  buildings ;  all  seemed  in  good  condition. 

"I  have  in  view  a  home  for  you,  so  let  us  retrace 
our  steps.  The  lady  is  a  fine  woman,  a  particular 
friend  of  mine.  She  is  married  and  has  a  little 
daughter,  who  attends  school.  Her  husband  is  em- 
ployed at  a  mine.  He  is  home  once  in  two  weeks 
for  a  day.  She  would  like  to  have  you  for 
company." 

They  came  abreast  of  a  house  with  a  yard  where 
flowers  grew  in  profusion.  "This  is  the  place," 
spoke  the  merchant.  They  rang  the  bell  and  were 
admitted  by  a  lady.  "Why,  how  do  you  do,  Mr. 
Davis.  I  am  so  glad  to  see  you  back  again."  He 
acknowledged  the  salutation.  "Mrs.  Fremont,  this 
is  Miss  Wilton,  our  new  teacher.  I  have  brought 
her  to  you  for  board  and  rooms ;  provide  for  her  if 
you  can."  "Certainly,"  said  Mrs.  Fremont,  "I  am 
rather  lonesome,  and  pleased  you  came  to  me.  Let 

28 


me  show  you  through  the  house,  you  may  select 
any  room  that  suits.'*  Miss  Wilton  was  not  difficult 
to  please,  and  soon  picked  one  she  preferred.  "It 
did  not  take  us  long  to  make  a  bargain,"  spoke  Mrs. 
Fremont.  "As  you  have  found  a  domicile,  I  will 
have  your  trunk  and  satchel  sent  up  from  the  hotel. 
If  you  require  anything  for  the  school,  order  it  and 
have  the  bill  sent  to  me.  Honor  the  store  with  your 
presence  sometimes.  Now,  farewell,"  said  the 
merchant. 

Katie,  Mrs.  Fremont's  daughter,  came  and  made 
friends  with  the  teacher,  and  volunteered  much  in- 
formation as  to  the  past  history  of  the  school. 

The  next  day  was  the  Sabbath.  Miss  Wilton 
quietly  observed  it.  Monday  a  watch  was  kept, 
when  Mr.  Foley  was  seen  coming.  She  hailed  him, 
"I  will  accompany  you."  He  doffed  his  hat,  ex- 
claiming: "It  would  be  an  honor  to  have  so  beauti- 
ful a  companion."  Little  Katie,  having  asked 
permission,  was  permitted  to  go  along. 

"Mr.  Davis  told  me  you  were  to  command,  I  was 
to  execute,"  said  Mr.  Foley. 

"I  would  like  to  have  the  desks,  benches  and 
woodwork  painted,  and  arranged  differently;  also 
the  floor  scrubbed,"  spoke  the  lady. 

"I  have  the  material  and  will  begin  at  once/' 
he  made  answer.  When  he  had  a  hearer,  Mr.  Foley 
was  talkative.  Like  an  engine,  he  must  have  an 
exhaust.  "You  are  familiar  with  ancient  history?" 
he  enquired. 

29 


"I  have  read  it  thoroughly,"  replied  the  lady. 

"Looked  at  from  my  standpoint,  there  are  some 
inconsistencies  in  it.  Take,  for  example  the  tale  of 
Romulus  and  Remus.  In  Rome,  its  rise  and  fall 
is  told  that  Rhea  Sylvia,  a  vestal,  was  the  mother 
of  twins.  The  cruel  king  Amulius  ordered  the  chil- 
dren to  be  thrown  into  the  Tiber.  It  so  happened 
that  the  river  had  overflowed  its  banks,  and  the 
cradle  in  which  the  children  were  borne  was  finally 
left  on  dry  ground  by  the  retiring  flood.  Attracted 
by  the  cries  of  the  children,  a  she  wolf  directed  her 
course  to  them  and  with  the  greatest  tenderness 
fondled  and  nursed  them.  There  in  the  cave  of  the 
wolf,  a  shepherd  found  them  and  carried  them  home 
to  his  wife  to  be  reared  with  his  own  children.  They 
afterward  built  a  city  on  the  spot  where  they  had 
been  exposed  and  rescued.  They  quarreled  over 
who  should  name  the  city,  and  Romulus  slew 
Remus.  The  city  was  named  Rome  after  the  sur- 
vivor. My  deduction  is,  that  the  story  is  not 
entitled  to  credence.  Knowing  the  nature  of  wild 
beasts  in  general  and  the  wolf  in  particular,  is  it  not 
more  rational  to  say  the  wolf,  a  ravenous,  carnivor- 
ous animal,  was  very  hungry.  She  was  roaming 
around  the  country  in  quest  of  food  to  appease  her 
appetite,  when  she  heard  the  cries  and  spied  the 
cradle  with  the  children  in  it.  She  smacked  her 
jaws,  licked  her  chops,  smiled  to  herself,  and 
thought  of  the  Scriptural  saying:  'The  Lord  tem- 
pers the  wind  to  the  shorn  lamb/  Here  is  my  dinner 
provided  for  me.  She  walked  up  to  the  cradle  and 

30 


immediately  proceeded  to  do  business  with  the 
twins.  After  awhile  they  laid  down  together,  but 
the  wolf  was  on  the  outside;  this  is  my  version. 
When  a  boy  of  fourteen  years  of  age,  I  lived  in  a 
city.  In  this  city  was  a  large  negro  population  and 
a  school  was  provided  exclusively  for  the  colored 
children.  This  building  was  located  three  blocks 
from  the  Caucasian  structure.  The  white  boys  en- 
tertained a  race  prejudice.  The  negroes  believed  in 
reciprocity;  the  result  was  that  when  the  boys  of 
different  color  met,  there  was  a  fight.  Our  teacher 
admonished  us  not  to  fight  or  quarrel  with  them, 
but  the  advice  was  not  heeded.  I  had  built  a  four- 
wheeled  wagon  and  made  it  substantial,  so  it  would 
bear  my  weight.  I  had  equipped  it  with  a  long  rope 
and  induced  eight  of  the  boys  to  act  as  horses  and 
haul  me  anywhere  I  wanted  to  go.  One  day,  at 
recess,  I  told  my  horses  we  would  visit  the  negroes. 
Their  recess  took  place  the  same  time  as  ours. 
They  were  at  play  when  we  put  in  an  appearance. 
Abusive  epithets  were  exchanged  and  a  pitched 
battle  ensued.  We  came  off  victorious.  The 
negroes  sought  refuge  in  their  house.  We  should 
have  withdrawn  then,  but  they  defied  us,  consider- 
ing themselves  secure  in  the  retreat.  We  threw 
a  volley  of  stones,  and  broke  a  number  of  panes  of 
glass.  A  white  lady  came  out  and  gave  us  a 
reprimand,  so  we  hurried  back  to  our  play  ground. 
The  bell  soon  rang  to  call  us  in.  We  had  scarcely 
taken  our  seats  when  a  rap  was  heard,  and  the  lady 
teacher  of  the  colored  school  entered.  She  engaged 

31 


our  teacher  in  conversation;  they  walked  around 
the  room,  and  she  identified  all  of  us  who  had  par- 
ticipated in  the  fight;  then  she  left.  Our  teacher 
called  us  up  to  an  open  space  in  front  of  his  desk 
and  addressed  us  as  follows :  'You  boys  are  guilty 
of  a  serious  offense.  You  were  the  aggressors  in  a 
combat  with  the  colored  children  on  their  play 
ground,  where  you  had  no  right  to  go.  You  were 
not  content  with  whipping  them,  but  broke  the  win- 
dows in  the  house/  Calling  each  boy  by  name,  he 
enquired  what  part  he  took  in  the  performance.  'I 
was  a  horse,  and  obeyed  orders/  answered  the  first 
boy.  'Very  well,  you  may  take  your  seat/  The 
second  boy  replied :  'I  was  a  horse,  too/  and  so  on, 
until  the  whole  eight  were  excused.  Turning  to  me, 
the  teacher  said:  'It  is  a  principle  of  law  that  a 
driver  is  responsible  for  the  good  conduct  of  his 
team,  and  liable  for  any  damage  they  may  do.  As 
driver,  you  will  have  to  take  the  punishment  for  the 
eight  horses/  The  master  was  armed  with  a  raw- 
hide whip.  The  first  round  opened  with  him 
confident  and  me  wary.  He  made  a  pass  with  the 
whip,  which  I  side-stepped.  He  landed  several  tell- 
ing blows  across  my  back.  The  round  closed  in 
his  favor,  the  odds  were  on  his  side.  Rounds  two 
and  three  were  a  repetition  of  the  first.  My  splendid 
foot-work  stood  me  in  good  hand.  I  dodged  some 
vicious  swings.  Occasionally  he  struck  me  across 
the  legs.  I  thought  a  foul  had  been  committed,  but 
as  he  was  Referee,  Principal  and  Time-Keeper,  I 
knew  it  was  useless  to  appeal  from  his  decision. 

32 


Round  four,  and  last,  was  a  hummer.  He  made  a 
straight  drive  from  the  shoulder,  and  caught  me 
squarely  on  the  back.  I  went  down  and  took  the 
full  count.  I  looked  vainly  around  to  see  if  anyone 
had  thrown  up  the  sponge.  Alas!  my  horses  had 
deserted  me  in  my  tribulation.  They  grinned  at  me. 

"  'Now  promise  me  you  will  not  molest  those 
colored  children  again,  and  we  will  call  this  affair 
off/  said  the  pedagogue,  as  he  helped  me  to  an  erect 
position.  I  would  have  promised  anything.  I  dis- 
posed of  the  little  wagon,  and  henceforth  Edward 
was  no  more  driver.  My  good  mother  applied 
vaseline  to  my  back  and  legs  that  evening  and  was 
quite  indignant.  I  have  since  thought  the  Master's 
interpretation  of  the  law,  in  my  case,  was  biased." 

Miss  Wilton  looked  at  her  watch,  and  announced 
that  it  was  time  for  lunch,  and  an  adjournment  was 
taken. 

After  dinner  Mr.  Foley  was  up  and  a  coming.  "An 
incident  of  my  boyhood  days  that  is  indelibly 
printed  on  my  memory  and  caused  my  faith  to  be 
shaken  is  this :  I  was  a  sort  of  gullible  youth,  and 
believed  everything  I  read  to  be  true.  I  perused  the 
story  of  George  Washington  and  his  little  hatchet. 
I  was  very  favorably  impressed.  I  was  particularly 
so  with  the  truthful  manner  of  George  junior,  and 
the  magnanimous  course  of  Mr.  Washington.  I 
pondered  over  the  narrative  and  determined  to  put 
it  to  a  practical  test.  Some  time  previous  my  father 
had  bought  me  a  light  ax  to  chop  wood  and  kindling. 
One  day  when  the  spirit  moved  me  I  seized  the  ax, 

33 


went  out  into  the  orchard  and  began  work  on  an 
.  apple  tree.  These  trees  were  of  a  fine  variety.  In 
a  short  time  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  the 
tree  fall  full  length  upon  the  ground.  The  noise  of 
its  falling  brought  my  mother  to  the  scene.  'Oh, 
Edward,  what  have  you  done?  Your  father  will  be 
furious.  He  will  give  you  the  worst  flogging  you 
ever  had.'  'I  guess  not,  mother/  I  said  in  an  exultant 
spirit,  'when  I  tell  him  the  truth  he  will  treat  me 
as  Mr.  Washington  did  young  George/  'If  he  did, 
you  would  go  out  tomorrow  and  chop  down  another. 
But  I  feel  he  will  teach  you  a  lesson  you  will  not 
soon  forget/ 

"Father  had  gone  to  town.  I  was  still  out  in  the 
orchard,  ax  in  hand,  trimming  off  the  branches  of 
the  tree  when  he  returned  and  sized  up  the  situa- 
tion. He  thundered  out:  'Who  cut  down  one  of 
my  best  apple  trees?'  I  dropped  the  ax  and  pre- 
pared to  rush  into  his  arms.  '  I  did,  father,  I  cannot 
tell  a  lie.  I  cut  it  with  my  little  ax/  Here  is  where 
I  expected  him  to  say :  'My  noble  boy,  come  to  my 
arms.  I  would  rather  loose  a  dozen  trees  than  have 
you  tell  an  untruth.'  But  the  unexpected  took  place. 
He  seized  me  by  the  collar  with  one  hand,  with  the 
other  he  grabbed  a  branch  of  the  tree.  'You  dared 
cut  down  my  apple  tree !  I  have  important  business 
with  you.'  Yes,  there  was  something  doing  for 
the  next  few  minutes.  It  was  an  improvised  circus. 
My  cries  for  mercy  brought  my  dear  mother  to  the 
rescue.  She  interceded  for  me,  and  brought  the 
performance  to  a  close.  My  belief  in  fiction  was 
shattered. 

34 


"There  resided  in  an  adjoining  State  a  school- 
mate of  my  mother's.  This  lady  was  engaged  in 
raising  fine  blooded  poultry.  She  carefully  packed 
and  shipped  to  mother  twenty-four  eggs.  Two 
hens  were  set  on  these  eggs,  and  in  time  twenty- 
three  young  chickens  were  hatched.  These  grew 
to  maturity.  They  were  the  pride  of  my  parents 
and  the  envy  of  the  neighbors,  who  sought  to 
purchase  some  of  the  fowls,  or  their  eggs,  but  to 
no  avail,  for  father  steadfastly  refused  to  part  with 
them.  He  seemed  to  enjoy  having  a  monopoly  of 
that  breed.  Exorbitant  prices  were  offered,  but  de- 
clined. I  met  a  neighbor  who  said  to  me :  'Edward, 
I  will  pay  you  one  dollar  for  a  dozen  of  these  eggs. 
You  can  get  them  by  degrees,  until  you  have  the 
number,  and  your  father  will  not  be  the  wiser.'  I 
consented  to  get  a  dozen  for  him.  I  knew  where 
there  was  a  nest  in  the  barn  that  contained  ten  eggs. 
I  took  the  ten  and  got  two  more  from  the  chicken 
house.  I  then  went  into  the  kitchen  and  put  the 
eggs  into  boiling  water  until  I  was  satisfied  they 
were  hard.  I  took  them  out  and  went  over  to  the 
neighbors.  I  gave  him  the  eggs  and  he  paid  me 
the  dollar  as  agreed.  My  conscience  did  not  up- 
braid me.  I  felt  that  as  he  wanted  me  to  deceive 
my  parents  there  was  no  harm  in  using  guile  with 
him.  Father  knew  of  this  nest  in  the  barn,  and 
missed  the  eggs.  He  brought  me  to  task.  'Edward, 
do  you  know  what  became  of  those  eggs?'  I 
answered,  'Yes,  sir,  I  sold  them  to  neighbor  Jones.' 
'You  sold  my  fancy  eggs  ?'  'Yes,  father,  but  I  boiled 

35 


them  first/  I  hastened  to  add,  for  visions  of  the 
apple  tree  episode  were  fresh  in  my  memory.  This 
time  he  took  me  in  his  arms,  called  me  'a  bright 
boy'  and  all  sorts  of  endearing  names,  and  finally 
he  asked:  'Edward,  where  is  the  dollar?'  Reluct- 
antly the  dollar  and  I  parted  company ;  however,  he 
gave  me  a  dime.  More  than  a  month  afterwards  I 
met  Neighbor  Jones,  who  said:  'Edward,  there 
was  something  remarkable  about  those  eggs.  I 
placed  them  under  a  hen,  she  sat  on  them  four 
weeks,  but  never  brought  out  a  chick.  I  then  broke 
first  one,  and  afterwards  all  of  them,  to  see  what 
was  the  matter.  They  were  hard  inside,  like  boiled 
eggs.'  I  said:  'I  guess  the  hen  sat  on  them  so 
long  they  must  have  petrified.'  He  looked  me 
square  in  the  face,  but  my  countenance  was  child- 
like and  bland.  If  he  mistrusted,  he  was  prudent, 
for  he  never  referred  to  the  eggs  again,  but  from 
this  time  he  never  allowed  me  to  court  his 
daughter." 

Miss  Wilton  had  brought  fancy  paper  of  different 
colors.  She  had  embellished  the  teacher's  table, 
cutting  scallops  in  red,  white  and  blue. 

"Mr.  Foley,  I  have  spent  a  very  pleasant  day; 
your  recital  of  anecdotes  has  evoked  many  a  hearty 
laugh  from  me.  It  is  time  we  ceased  our  labor  for 
the  day." 

"If  I  have  been  the  means  of  causing  the  hours  to 
pass  quickly,  I  am  fully  repaid,"  said  Mr.  Foley. 

By  Wednesday  everything  in  and  around  the 
school  house  was  in  apple-pie  order.  Miss  Wilton, 

36 


in  company  with  the  Trustees,  walked  to  the  school 
house.  The  officials  noted  the  improvements.  They 
agreed  'the  room  looked  more  cosy  and  inviting 
than  ever  before.'  At  9  a.  m.  the  bell  rang.  The 
girls  and  boys  filed  into  seats.  Mr.  Davis  stepped 
to  the  front  and  addressed  them. 

"Girls  and  boys,  I  take  pleasure  in  introducing 
to  you  Miss  Wilton,  who  will  be  your  teacher  for 
the  present  term.  In  the  past  this  school  has  been 
taught  by  men.  We  decided  to  change,  and  we 
believe  the  effect  will  be  beneficial.  With  you  rests 
the  power  to  make  your  teacher's  work  easy  and 
pleasant.  She  comes  to  us  fresh  from  a  field  of 
experience  in  the  city,  and  her  ideas  and  methods 
are  up  to  date.  You  will  enjoy  the  advantages  of 
her  learning.  If  you  do  not  make  progress  in  your 
studies,  the  fault  will  be  yours,  not  the  teacher's. 
Now  I  am  going  to  speak  to  you  older  boys.  I  am 
going  to  use  strong  language,  so  you  will  know  I 
mean  it.  You  boys  have  been  the  cause  of  all 
trouble  in  this  school.  Your  mischief  and  playing 
tricks  has  worried  all  former  teachers.  It  has  got 
to  cease;  you  must  quit  it.  You  have  been  sus- 
pended and  taken  back.  During  this  term,  if  you 
are  suspended  or  expelled  by  the  lady,  you  will  not 
be  taken  back.  This  school  is  going  to  be  in  session. 
You  may  attend  if  you  behave,  but  you  shall  not 
come  if  you  do  not  obey  the  rules.  It  seems  to  me 
you  are  old  enough  to  be  ashamed  of  your  past  con- 
duct. Now  is  the  time  to  study  and  fit  yourselves 

37 


for  the  day  when  you  will  have  to  leave  school,  go 
out  into  the  world  and  make  your  living  among 
men/' 

Miss  Wilton  arose.  "Girls  and  boys:  I  have 
listened  to  the  words  of  praise  bestowed  upon  me 
by  Mr.  Davis,  and  I  hope  to  be  worthy  of  them.  It 
will  be  my  aim  to  teach  those  qualifications  that  will 
make  you  useful  women  and  men  in  life.  To  do 
this,  I  must  have  your  respect  and  aid.  I  hope  to 
gain  these  and  retain  them.  If  I  succeed  it  will  not 
be  necessary  to  put  into  effect  the  drastic  measures 
spoken  of  by  Mr.  Davis.  That  is  all."  Mr.  Davis 
enquired  if  his  colleagues  wished  to  speak.  They 
answered  "No."  "I  declare  the  school  formally 
opened,  and  we  will  say  adieu." 

The  teacher  asked  the  name  and  age  of  each  pupil 
and  enrolled  them.  She  found  there  were  forty-two 
scholars  present.  She  examined  them  in  the  studies 
of  the  last  term,  and  arranged  them  into  classes. 


38 


CHAPTER  III 

A  STORM  Is  BREWING — THE  VILLAGE  BELLE 
DECIDES  TO  RID  HERSELF  OF  A  DANGER- 
OUS RIVAL. 

Miss  WILTON  CONFIDES  A  SECRET  TO 
MRS.  FREMONT. 

THE  first  week  was  tranquil ;  things  moved  like 
clock  work  in  the  school.     At  the  close  of  the 
week  the  teacher  complimented  the  scholars 
on  the  excellent  order    they   had   maintained,   and 
trusted  it  would  continue.    The  second  week  was 
marked  by  good  behavior,  and  the  teacher  expressed 
satisfaction  for  the  two  weeks'  work.     She  little  knew 
a  storm  was  brewing. 

Miss  Jessie  Bartle  was  the  village  belle,  the 
acknowledged  beauty  of  Sawyers  Bar.  Prior  to  the 
event  of  Miss  Wilton  there  was  none  to  dispute  her 
title.  There  were  young  ladies  in  abundance,  but 
the  palm  for  good  looks  was  conceded  to  Miss 
Bartle.  With  the  coming  of  the  handsome  teacher, 
she  saw  herself  relegated  to  second  place.  Her 
dark  brunette  style  was  eclipsed  by  the  fairer  blonde 
type,  and  distinguished  queenly  manner  of  the  new 
lady.  She  was  jealous  of  the  words  of  admiration 
spoken  in  favor  of  Miss  Wilton ;  it  piqued  her.  Miss 
Bartle  reasoned  that  if  the  routine  at  school  was  not 
placid,  the  teacher  would  depart,  which  consumma- 

39 


tion  Miss  Bartle  devoutly  wished  for.  She  hoped 
to  accomplish  the  discomfiture  of  Miss  *  Wilton 
through  the  older  boys.  She  resolved  to  throw 
every  obstacle  in  the  path  of  the  teacher.  Daniel 
O'Brien,  or  Dan,  was  verging  on  seventeen  years 
of  age.  He  was  a  well  built,  wiry  lad,  and  one  of 
the  leaders  in  all  of  the  pranks  played  at  school. 
Thomas  Crane,  or  Tommy,  was  an  equal  partner 
with  Dan.  What  schemes  one  could  not  contrive, 
the  other  would  conjure.  In  a  nutshell,  these  two 
were  the  prime  movers  in  all  the  tricks  practiced 
on  the  teachers  in  the  past. 

At  the  ending  of  the  second  week's  session,  Miss 
Bartle  made  it  convenient  to  see  Dan  and  ask  how 
he  liked  the  lady  teacher.  "I  like  her  fine.  We  all 
like  her  better  than  any  man  teacher  we  ever  had," 
said  Dan.  "Look  here,  Dan,  are  you  going  to  have 
it  said  that  a  young  lady,  a  mere  girl,  can  come  here 
and  run  this  school  and  master  you  boys,  when  men 
have  failed  ?  Why,  people  will  say  you  are  smitten 
with  her,  and  call  you  sissy  boys.  Say,  Dan,  if  you 
will  make  it  as  unpleasant  as  you  know  how,  and 
compel  her  to  quit  the  school,  I  will  give  you  five 
dollars."  "I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  be  good  this 
term,  and  obey  the  rules.  Another  reason,  the 
Trustees  told  us  if  we  were  expelled  we  would  not 
be  taken  back,"  said  Dan.  "Do  not  be  afraid.  I 
have  enough  influence  to  get  you  back,  if  she  does 
expel  you.  In  my  opinion  she  will  become  dis- 
gusted and  resign.  You  will  have  a  vacation  then ; 
and  think  of  the  many  things  five  dollars  will  buy ! 

40 


fourth  of  July  is  coming  and  you  will  want  some 
spending  money."  Finally,  by  this  manner  of  per- 
suasion, she  won  him  to  agree  to  do  her  bidding. 
She  cautioned  him  to  "keep  secret  what  had  passed 
between  them"  and  gave  him  a  dollar  to  bind  the 
bargain.  The  balance  of  the  $5.00  was  to  be  paid 
when  the  teacher  gave  up  her  position.  Dan  held 
a  consultation  with  Tommy  Crane.  The  gist  of  it 
was :  "We  must  get  busy,  and  have  some  fun  with 
the  lady  teacher.  Folks  are  beginning  to  josh  us 
about  a  woman  making  us  mind.  We  must  show 
we  are  boss  of  this  school,"  spoke  Danny.  "All 
right,  I  am  with  you,"  said  Tommy. 

The  initial  move  in  disobedience  came  when  the 
teacher  asked  Dan  to  bring  a  fresh  bucket  of  water 
for  drinking.  "I  ain't  going  to  pack  water  for  the 
whole  school,"  was  his  answer.  "Why,  Danny,  I 
intended  you  older  boys  should  take  turns  doing 
the  chores;  you  are  more  able  than  the  smaller 
children.  It's  only  a  small  task."  "I  won't  do  it 
just  the  same,"  replied  Danny.  "I  feel  sure  Tommy 
will,"  pleaded  the  lady.  "No,  I  am  like  Dan.  Let 
the  Trustees  pay  some  one  to  pack  the  water."  The 
other  boys,  taking  the  cue  from  Dan  and  Tom,  re- 
fused to  carry  the  bucket. 

"Boys,  I  am  surprised  at  you."  Seizing  the  empty 
vessel,  the  teacher  went  to  the  well  and  the  full 
bucket  was  brought  to  the  room.  The  first  im- 
pression created  in  the  teacher's  mind  by  this 
insubordination  was  that  the  boys  were  trying  her 
temperament,  and  she  resolved  to  let  the  incident 

41 


pass  without  comment.  Throughout  the  week  Dan 
and  Tommy  exhibited  a  turbulent  spirit  bordering 
on  open  rebellion.  On  Friday  the  crisis  was  reached. 
A  cold  rain  had  set  in  the  night  before,  making 
things  damp  and  rendering  a  fire  in  the  room 
necessary.  This  was  the  opportunity  Dan  had  been 
waiting  for.  At  recess,  it  being  wet  outside,  the 
children  remained  indoors.  The  bell  rang  to  take 
up  school.  Dan  stayed  in  the  rear.  He  thrust  a 
hand  into  his  pocket  and  with  a  quick  motion  with- 
drew it  filled  with  cayenne  pepper.  This  he  threw 
on  to  the  hot  stove.  Instantly  the  room  was  filled 
with  a  smoke  and  odor,  both  suffocating  and 
nauseating.  The  pupils  coughed,  sneezed  and 
gasped  for  breath.  The  teacher  opened  the  doors 
and  raised  the  windows  to  admit  fresh  air.  She 
led  the  way  to  the  woodshed,  looking  at  the  time. 
She  saw  it  was  after  n  a.  m.  and  told  the  children 
they  might  go  home  for  dinner  and  return  at  I  p.  m. 

During  this  ordeal  the  teacher  preserved  a  calm 
exterior.  She  was  sensible  that  an  artifice,  the  char- 
acter of  which  she  could  not  fathom,  had  been 
played.  In  all  her  career  she  had  never  experienced 
the  same  as  this.  She  never  lost  her  equanimity  or 
asked  for  an  explanation  at  this  time. 

On  their  way  to  lunch  Katie  Fremont  told  the 
teacher  it  was  cayenne  pepper  that  had  been  put 
on  the  stove.  She  said  it  was  a  trick  practiced  by 
the  boys  on  former  teachers,  one  of  whom  had 
become  so  indignant  that  he  gave  up  the  position. 

42 


At  i  p.  m.  the  school  convened.  The  lady  asked : 
"Is  there  any  girl  or  boy  in  the  room  that  knows 
who  put  that  pepper  on  the  stove?  I  would  like 
positive  evidence ;  that  is,  I  want  some  one  to  speak 
who  saw  the  pupil  put  the  pepper  on  the  stove." 
Silence  reigned.  "If  the  one  will  come  forward, 
and  say  he  did  it,  and  promise  not  to  do  the  like 
again,  I  will  pardon  the  offense,  and  nothing  more 
will  be  done  about  it."  No  one  responded  to  the 
invitation.  "You  older  boys  please  take  notice  I 
am  informed  this  is  one  of  your  favorite  devices  to 
cause  annoyance  to  teachers.  It  was  the  means  of 
one  gentleman  leaving  the  school.  If  you  hope  to 
accomplish  this  end  in  my  case,  you  will  find  your- 
selves mistaken.  I  am  here  to  stay ;  you  can  depend 
on  this.  I  had  hoped  not  to  enforce  the  law  in 
regard  to  expelling  a  pupil,  but  I  will  surely  expel 
any  boy  I  can  prove  guilty  of  such  mean  acts.  For 
two  weeks  your  conduct  was  perfect,  and  I  praised 
you  to  the  Trustees.  This  week  I  am  forced  to  say 
your  conduct  is  very  bad.  School  is  dismissed  for 
the  week." 

She  sat  at  the  table  long  after  the  scholars  had 
gone,  meditating  over  the  events  of  the  week.  The 
first  and  second  weeks  she  was  happy,  sanguine  of 
success.  Now  she  was  despondent.  The  contrast 
between  the  weeks  was  extreme.  She  could  only 
speculate  what  the  coming  week  had  in  store.  The 
poem  of  Josephine  Pollard,  recurred  to  her,  and  she 
repeated  it  aloud,  over  and  over  again : 

43 


No  -matter  which  way  I  turn, 

I  always  find  in  the  book  of  life 

Some  lessons  I  have  to  learn. 

I  must  take  my  turn  at  the  mill, 

I  must  grind  out  the  golden  grain, 

I  must  work  at  my  task  with  a  resolute 

will, 
Over  and  over  again. 

We  cannot  measure  the  need, 
Of  even  the  tiniest  flower, 
Nor  check  the  flow  of  the  golden  sands, 
That  run  through  a  single  hour. 
But  the  morning  dews  must  fall, 
And  the  sun  and  the  summer  rain 
Must  do  their  part  and  perform  it  all, 
Over  and  over  again. 

Over  and  over  again, 

The  brook  through  the  meadows  flows, 

And  over  and  over  again 

The  ponderous  mill  wheel  goes. 

Once  doing  will  not  suffice, 

Though  doing  be  not  in  vain, 

And  a  blessing  failing  us  once  or  twice, 

May  come  if  we  try  again. 

The  path  that  has  once  been  trod 
Is  never  so  rough  to  the  feet. 
And  the  lesson  we  once  have  learned 
Is  never  so  hard  to  repeat. 

44 


Though  sorrowful  tears  must  fall, 
And  the  heart  to  its  depths  be  driven 
With  storm  and  tempest,  we  need  them  all 
To  render  us  meet  for  Heaven. 

All  alone,  she  indulged  in  a  cry.  Her  pent  up 
emotions  could  no  longer  be  controlled.  Tears  were 
falling  copiously.  She  had  heard  the  adage  "That 
misfortunes  never  come  singly."  It  seemed  to  her 
the  maxim  was  verified  in  her  instance.  She  felt 
relieved  after  this  outburst  had  subsided.  She 
breathed  a  prayer  to  God  to  direct  her  in  the  right 
course  to  pursue,  locked  the  school  house,  and  went 
to  her  room  at  Mrs.  Fremont's.  This  lady  was  out- 
spoken in  her  denunciation  of  the  beys  when  she 
learned  what  had  transpired.  Of  Miss  Wilton  she 
asked :  "Were  you  cognizant  of  the  reputation  of 
this  school  when  you  agreed  to  teach  it?  I  was 
dubious  of  the  result  when  I  learned  a  lady 
was  to  take  charge  of  it."  "Yes,  I  was 
made  acquainted  with  the  worst  features.  I 
took  the  school  with  my  eyes  open.  I  wanted  a 
change.  I  became  too  conspicuous  in  the  city  where 
I  resided.  I  will  make  a  confidant  of  you,  Mrs. 
Fremont.  Your  question  "if  I  was  cognizant  of 
the  reputation  of  the  school  when  I  engaged  to 
teach  it"  implies  that  a  curiosity  exists  in  your  mind 
why  I  took  the  school  if  I  was  familiar  with  its  bad 
qualities.  Your  question  is  natural.  It  seems 
strange  that  a  young  lady  who  has  been  reared  and 
lived  all  her  life  in  the  city  should  suddenly  sever 

45 


the  ties  with  those  she  loves  dearly  and  seek  a 
home  among  strangers.  I  will  elucidate :  I  was 
born  and  reared  in  the  city  of  Oakland.  My  dear 
mother  died  when  I  was  only  four  years  of  age. 
Being  of  such  tender  years,  I  have  only  a  faint 
recollection  of  her.  My  mother  had  a  married  sister, 
Mrs.  Page.  In  accordance  with  mother's  last  re- 
quest, I  was  placed  with  my  aunt.  She  was  not 
blessed  with  any  children  of  her  own,  so  lavished 
on  me  all  her  love.  I  was  tenderly  and  carefully 
brought  up.  I  was  sent  to  the  best  schools.  The 
educational  facilities  afforded  in  the  city  of  Oakland 
and  its  environments  are  the  best  in  the  State,  and 
equal  any  in  the  United  States  in  my  opinion.  Mr. 
Page  owned  a  large  fruit  orchard.  He  was  bounti- 
fully supplied  with  this  world's  goods,  and  furnished 
his  home  with  a  lavish  hand.  My  aunt  was  not  a 
society  woman  in  the  strict  sense  of  the  word.  She 
had  her  friends  who  visited  at  regular  intervals, 
and  partook  of  her  hospitality.  She  returned  their 
calls,  but  she  did  not  give  grand  receptions  or  enter- 
tain any  large  assemblages.  I  accompanied  her 
wherever  she  went.  She  was  a  Christian  and 
attended  church  every  Sabbath.  She  contributed 
towards  all  charities.  I  was  allowed  to  attend  places 
of  amusement  with  friends,  or  a  chaperon.  My  aunt 
gave  me  motherly  counsel  such  as  every  young  girl 
needs,  and  I  obeyed  her  implicitly.  No  expense  was 
spared  on  me.  I  was  taught  all  the  requisites  and 
accomplishments.  I  graduated  from  a  Seminary 
at  the  age  of  nineteen.  I  was  early  imbued  with  the 

46 


idea  that  I  ought  to  earn  my  living.  Whenever  I 
broached  this  subject,  my  aunt  would  say:  "My 
dear  girl,  you  know  Mr.  Page  and  I  have  no 
children;  in  the  natural  course  of  events  we  are 
bound  to  die;  you  are  our  nearest  kin  and  will  be 
our  heir.  All  we  possess  will  be  yours.  There  is 
ample  to  maintain  you  in  a  life  of  luxury  and  ease ; 
there  is  no  necessity  for  you  to  toil."  "I  am  aware 
of  this,  aunty.  It  is  that  I  prefer  an  active  to  a 
passive  life.  I  like  the  pecuniary  consideration 
attached  to  labor.  There  is  in  my  composition  or 
nature  what  men  call  push  or  go  aheadativeness.  I 
cannot  endure  an  indolent  existence.  Work  is  what 
I  require,  both  mental  and  physical.  I  have  admired 
teaching  as  a  profession  and  will  fit  myself  for  that 
calling."  I  gradually  overcame  her  antipathy  and 
she  consented.  One  day  I  presented  myself  to  the 
Board  of  Examiners,  passed  a  creditable  inquiry 
and  was  presented  with  a  First  Grade  Certificate. 
A  vacancy  occurred  shortly  and  I  entered  upon  the 
routine  of  a  full  fledged  teacher.  Up  to  this  period 
I  was  heart  whole  and  fancy  free.  No  event  had 
taken  place  to  impress  my  life.  It  was  perfectly 
serene.  I  was  a  devotee  of  pedestrianism  and 
walked  to  and  from  my  school.  Shakespeare  says : 
"There  is  a  tide  in  the  affairs  of  every  man  which 
taken  at  the  flood  leads  on  to  fortune."  So  circum- 
stances over  which  one  has  no  crontrol  will  change 
the  whole  course  of  your  career.  One  day  whilst 
returning  from  school,  I  had  to  cross  one  of  the 
principal  thoroughfares.  I  was  half  way  over  when 

47 


I  heard  shouting  and  loud  cries  of  warning.  I 
looked  in  the  direction  and  saw  an  automobile  with 
a  man  in  it  bearing  down  upon  me.  I  was  directly 
in  line  with  the  course  of  the  machine.  I  seemed 
unable  to  realize  my  situation.  I  tried  to  move,  but 
my  Ihnbs  seemed  paralyzed.  My  brain  was  con- 
fused. I  was  rooted  to  the  spot.  The  yells  and 
cries  increased,  but  to  no  purpose ;  I  was  powerless 
to  act.  I  seemed  doomed  to  certain  death.  I  hastily 
reviewed  the  past.  Life  was  very  dear  to  me.  I 
was  young  and  everybody  was  good  and  kind  to 
me.  I  took  one  last  look  at  the  machine.  The 
chauffeur  was  gesticulating  and  working  at  the 
lever;  it  seemed  about  to  run  me  down  and  crush 
me;  I  closed  my  eyes  and  waited  for  the  end. 
Suddenly  I  felt  myself  lifted  bodily;  then  I  lost 
consciousness;  I  presume  I  did  what  every  woman 
under  the  same  circumstances  would  have  done,  I 
fainted.  When  I  revived  and  regained  my  senses,  I 
was  lying  on  a  couch  in  a  drug  store  with  the 
proprietor  holding  a  bottle  of  spirits  of  camphor  to 
my  nostrils. 

"  'You  are  all  right  now/  said  he.  'You  have  had 
a  miraculous  escape.  You  owe  your  life  to  a  gentle- 
man by  the  name  of  Mr.  Howard,  cashier  of  the 
Corn  and  Exchange  Bank.  I  was  a  spectator  to  the 
rescue.  People  were  trying  to  warn  you  of  the 
danger,  but  you  were  dazed  and  unable  to  help  your- 
self. I  thought  no  power  on  earth  could  save  you, 
when  a  man  made  what  looked  like  a  flying  leap, 
seized  you  in  his  arms  and  sprang  to  one  side.  There 

48 


was  very  little  margin  between  your  rescuer  and 
the  automobile,  but  that  little  was  enough,  for  the 
machine  passed  you  unscathed.  You  were  carried 
in  here ;  I  did  not  deem  it  necessary  to  call  a  doctor, 
I  saw  you  were  uninjured  and  had  only  swooned. 
Mr.  Howard  left  when  assured  you  would  soon  re- 
cover. He  requested  that  no  mention  be  made  of 
his  part  in  saving  you ;  he  was  modest  and  wished 
to  disclaim  any  credit  for  what  he  had  done.  I  told 
him  it  was  impossible  to  conceal  the  truth  and  his 
courageous  action.  Mr.  Howard  is  a  hero.  He 
risked  his  life  and  should  be  decorated  with  a 
medal/ 

"He  proffered  to  call  a  hack,  but  I  declined,  feeling 
able  to  walk.  I  was  profuse  in  my  thanks  and 
offered  to  pay  hrm  for  his  care,  but  he  positively  re- 
fused to  accept  any  compensation.  My  impulse 
was  to  inquire  as  to  the  personal  appearance  of  my 
savior,  but  modesty  forbade  it.  I  was  always  punc- 
tual in  arriving  at  home,  but  this  day  I  was  late. 
My  aunt  was  anxiously  awaiting  me.  I  hastily  re- 
lated my  adventure.  She  became  nervous  and 
hysterical,  but  when  assured  I  was  uninjured  re- 
gained her  composure.  The  newspapers  contained 
a  graphic  account  of  the  incident.  In  glaring  head- 
lines they  told  of  the  hairbreadth  escape  and  daring 
rescue.  They  displayed  a  portrait  of  Mr.  Howard, 
whom  they  lauded  and  called  a  hero.  They  also 
gave  a  nice  description  of  the  handsome  young 
school  ma'am,  as  they  called  her.  They  made  quite 
a  column  of  it.  Before  retiring  that  night  I  offered 

49 


up  a  prayer  for  my  safe  deliverance  and  for  my 
rescuer.  Next  morning  the  first  thing  I  did  was 
to  indite  a  note  to  Mr.  Howard  expressing  my 
gratitude  and  inviting  him  to  call  upon  me.  When 
I  reached  the  school  house  I  received  an  ovation. 
The  teachers  and  scholars  from  the  other  depart- 
ments had  assembled.  They  surrounded  me  and 
vied  with  each  other  in  congratulating  me.  They 
extolled  Mr.  Howard.  I  was  touched  with  their  ex- 
hibition of  affection  and  interest  in  my  welfare.  On 
looking  over  the  account  published  in  the  papers, 
I  learned  that  through  a  defect  in  the  working  of 
the  machinery,  the  automobile  would  not  respond 
to  the  touch  of  the  chauffeur  and  had  gotten  beyond 
his  control;  in  fact,  it  was  running  away  at  the 
rate  of  thirty  miles  per  hour.  He  succeeded  in 
bringing  it  to  a  stop  after  going  some  five  miles 
without  any  accident.  On  my  way  home  that 
afternoon  I  took  a  circuitous  route  and  when  com- 
pelled to  cross  a  street  I  gazed  in  all  directions  to 
see  no  runaway  automobile  was  in  sight.  I  was 
timid,  for  my  experience  had  made  a  deep  impres- 
sion on  me,  but  such  an  accident  might  not  occur 
again  in  one's  life-time.  I  reached  home  safely.  It 
was  the  custom  at  our  house  to  dine  at  5  p.  m. 
Mr.  Page  was  always  punctual.  I  had  arrayed 
myself  in  one  of  my  most  becoming  gowns  and 
taken  more  than  usual  pains  in  arranging  my  toilet. 
I  had  a  presentiment  that  there  might  be  company. 
I  entered  the  drawing  room  to  await  the  announce- 
ment of  dinner,  and  perceived  Mr.  Page  in  conver- 

50 


sation  with  a  gentleman.  They  arose  and  came  to 
meet  me.  Mr.  Page  said:  'Miss  Wilton,  permit 
me  to  introduce  to  you  Mr.  Frank  Howard.  Mr. 
Howard,  my  niece.'  With  a  mischievous  smile,  he 
added:  'You  have  met  before,  but  were  not  ac- 
quainted, I  believe/  I  extended  my  hand  and  re- 
member saying:  'When  we  met  yesterday  there 
was  no  time  for  formalities,  decisive  action  was 
required  and  Mr.  Howard  rose  to  the  occasion.  You 
have  placed  me  under  lasting  obligations  to  you. 
Mere  words  seem  inadequate  to  convey  my  grati- 
tude; you  saved  my  life.'  He  replied:  'Miss  Wil- 
ton, it  affords  me  the  greatest  pleasure  to  make 
your  acquaintance,  and  to  meet  you  under  more 
auspicious  circumstances.  What  I  did  to  save  your 
life  I  would  have  done  for  any  human  being.  Those 
spectators  must  have  considered  there  was  no  hope, 
or  they  would  have  put  forth  an  effort  in  your  be- 
half. I  had  no  time  to  consider  the  personal  risk. 
I  saw  there  was  a  chance ;  I  took  that  chance ;  you 
know  the  rest.  Now  I  have  a  request  to  make  of 
you,  that  is,  not  to  allude  to  the  part  I  played  in 
your  fortunate  escape.  The  papers  have  more  than 
done  justice  to  the  happening.  I  dislike  adulation. 
I  trust  our  meeting  will  ripen  into  friendship  and 
that  I  may  be  allowed  to  call  upon  you  at  proper 
intervals.'  I  answered :  'I  will  respect  your  wishes 
not  to  mention  the  subject  in  your  presence ;  I  will 
not  promise  to  forget  it,  for  I  never  can.'  With  this 
the  accident  was  dismissed. 

51 


"Mr.  Howard  was  a  man  of  commanding  presence. 
He  was  five  feet  eleven  inches  in  height  and 
weighed  185  pounds.  He  had  dark  curly  hair,  large 
blue  eyes,  a  dark  moustache.  His  age  was  twenty- 
eight  years.  In  an  assemblage  he  would  attract 
attention.  He  was  a  man  to  win  the  affection  of 
a  young  woman.  Yes,  it  was  a  case  of  love  at  first 
sight.  I  had  heretofore  ridiculed  the  idea  of  people 
being  smitten  with  tender  passion  at  their  first 
glimpse  of  one  another;  I  held  to  the  opinion  that 
love  was  something  that  must  gradually  develop ;  it 
must  be  acquired  and  cultivated ;  but  I  awoke  to 
the  conviction  that  my  long  cherished  ideas  had 
been  obliterated,  swept  aside;  I  was  conscious  of  a 
nobler,  tenderer  regard  for  Mr.  Howard  than  I 
thought  any  living  man  could  arouse  in  me.  Like 
all  young  ladies,  at  times  I  had  my  day  dreams.  I 
expected  to  marry,  when  I  should  encounter  a  para- 
gon. The  thought  of  being  an  old  maid  was  repug- 
nant to  me.  Men  of  different  nationalities  and 
professions  I  had  met  in  society ;  some  were  eminent 
in  their  chosen  calling  and  evoked  my  respect  for 
their  learning,  nothing  more.  Aside  from  the  affec- 
tion I  felt  for  my  aunt  and  uncle,  nothing  akin  to 
love  had  entered  my  brain. 

"Mr.  Howard  escorted  me  to  dinner.  During  the 
progress  of  the  meal  diverse  subjects  were  dis- 
cussed. I  found  him  to  be  well  versed  in  the  arts, 
sciences,  literature,  and  a  brilliant  conversationalist. 
I  will  not  weary  you  with  an  account  of  our  court- 
ship; let  it  suffice  to  say  that  in  six  months  from 

52 


our  first  meeting,  Mr.  Howard  and  I  became  en- 
gaged. Betrothed  lovers ;  when  two  of  the  opposite 
sex  are  in  love  with  each  other,  it  does  not  take 
them  long  to  discover  the  fact.  You  do  not  care  to 
listen  to  an  account  of  tender  love  messages,  nor  do 
I  deem  it  prudent  to  confide  them  to  you.  I  believe 
there  are  tender  scenes  transpire  between  affianced 
lovers  that  should  be  regarded  as  sacred  and  never 
divulged.  My  engagement  to  Mr.  Howard  had  the 
hearty  approval  of  my  aunt  and  uncle.  They  had 
noted  the  course  of  events,  so  were  not  surprised 
at  the  denouement.  The  date  of  our  wedding  had 
been  fixed;  it  was  to  be  the  anniversary  of  my 
rescue.  I  had  resigned  any  position  of  teacher.  I 
had  formulated  plans  for  the  future  and  had  begun 
preparations  for  my  bridal  trousseau.  I  seemed  to 
dwell  in  a  realm  of  ethereal  bliss.  I  could  neither 
ask  nor  wish  for  anything  to  complete  my  happi- 
ness; every  cloud  had  a  silver  lining.  My  cup  of 
joy  seemed  full.  I  was  going  to  wed  a  man  who 
was  good,  noble,  honorable,  the  acme  of  perfection. 
I  was  in  this  superlative  degree  of  ecstasy  when 
the  cruel  intervention  of  fate  indefinitely  postponed 
all  our  cherished  plans  of  marriage.  It  was  a  most 
cruel  blow,  and  it  was  some  time  before  I  realized 
its  full  import. 

At  home  Mr.  Page  was  of  a  jovial  temperament, 
telling  some  humorous  story  or  cracking  jokes.  On 
this  particular  evening,  instead  of  a  smile  he  wore 
a  dejected  look,  and  acted  as  though  something 
worried  him.  I  noticed  the  change  and  questioned 

53 


him.  He  replied  evasively ;  said  he  'was  not  feeling 
well,  a  slight  bilious  attack,  would  go  and  lie  down/ 
Presently  my  aunt  came  to  me  and  said :  'My  dear 
child ;'  this  was  her  favorite  way  of  addressing  me ; 
'I  have  some  unpleasant  news  to  communicate,  and 
I  feel  it  my  duty  to  let  you  know  at  once.  The  Corn 
and  Exchange  Bank  is  missing  forty  thousand 
dollars.  The  money  was  entrusted  to  the  care  and 
keeping  of  your  affianced,  Mr.  Howard,  some  two 
days  ago.  Since  then  no  trace  of  it  can  be  found. 
There  are  some  disagreeable  rumors  in  circulation 
regarding  its  disappearance.  This  is  what  has  dis- 
tressed your  uncle.  He  was  averse  to  breaking  the 
news  to  you.  He  does  not  for  one  moment  believe 
that  Mr.  Howard  is  guilty  of  any  wrong  doing,  but 
he  says  there  are  some  ugly  stories  being  told 
among  the  business  men  and  current  upon  the 
streets.  One  is  that  the  Directors  of  the  Bank  have 
had  a  meeting,  and  after  investigating  the  facts  have 
asked  for  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Howard;  another 
report  is  that  he  has  tendered  his  resignation,  but 
the  Directors  have  refused  to  accept  it,  and  will 
institute  legal  proceedings  against  him.  This  is 
the  substance  of  what  your  uncle  heard  in  the  city/ 
"During  this  recital  I  remained  mute.  I  can 
barely  describe  my  emotions.  I  never  doubted 
Frank's  innocence.  The  uppermost  thought  in  my 
mind  was  that  a  great  mistake  had  been  made; 
that  the  money  had  been  secreted  in  some  nook 
or  corner  which  was  overlooked  in  the  excitement 
of  its  disappearance ;  that  a  calmer,  more  systematic 

54 


search  would  reveal  its  hiding  place.  I  took  this 
cheerful  aspect,  but  as  I  reviewed  the  matter, 
an  unpleasant  side  would  suggest  itself.  What  if 
the  money  actually  had  been  stolen?  Although  in 
no  manner  connected  with  the  robbery,  what  if  the 
bank  officials  held  Frank  responsible  for  its  loss  and 
would  begin  a  criminal  suit  to  prosecute,  him?  As 
this  phase  of  the  situation  would  obtrude,  I  became 
melancholy.  Was  our  wedding  to  be  deferred?  I 
had  nearly  completed  my  arrangements.  The  date 
was  distant  only  two  months.  Must  all  my  hopes 
and  aspirations  go  for  naught?  Had  some  blight 
fallen  across  -my  life? 

"I  am  naturally  of  an  optimistic  disposition  and 
look  upon  the  bright  side.  I  would  await  the 
coming  of  Frank,  who  I  felt  would  explain  every- 
thing satisfactorily.  Since  our  engagement  it  was 
Frank's  practice  to  visit  me  regularly  three  times 
a  week.  Seldom  did  more  than  two  days  pass  with- 
out my  seeing  him.  Three  days  had  now  elapsed 
since  he  called.  I  attributed  his  absence  to  the  in- 
formation I  had  received.  I  pictured  him  as  striving 
with  energy  to  unearth  and  bring  to  light  the  miss- 
ing money.  I  could  see  his  face  wreathed  in  smiles 
as  he  came  to  tell  me  the  lost  had  been  found;  of 
how  worried  he  had  been ;  how  he  had  worked  over- 
time; ransacked  every  part  of  the  building,  and 
finally  when  he  had  nearly  despaired  of  finding  it, 
discovered  the  money  stowed  away  in  a  forgotten 
niche ;  how  he  exclaimed :  'May,  I  am  the  happiest 
man  on  earth ;  congratulate  me  on  the  lucky  escape 

55 


from  this  dilemma/  I  conjured  this  in  my  mind. 
Alas!  no  such  happy  consummation  was  to  be.  It 
was  a  castle  in  the  air,  a  bubble;  it  burst,  and  the 
consequence  I  am  reaping  now.  This  is  the  reason 
why  I  left  my  dear  aunt  and  uncle,  home  and 
friends  and  ostracised  myself  from  society.  It  is 
why  I  accepted  the  position  of  teacher  of  your 
school.  My  betrothed,  my  hero  is  innocent,  but 
circumstances  are  against  him." 

Her  voice  became  tremulous.  Her  whole  frame 
was  visibly  affected.  Tears  coursed  down  her 
cheeks.  It  was  some  time  before  she  stifled  her 
grief  and  regained  her  composure. 

"I  think  you  had  better  continue  the  history  to 
some  more  propitious  time.  The  hour  is  late,  and 
you  are  unnerved/'  remarked  Mrs.  Fremont.  "The 
intimation  is  timely ;  I  will  adopt  it,"  answered  Miss 
Wilton. 


56 


CHAPTER  IV 

MR.  FOLEY  RECEIVES  A  NUMBER  OF  VISITORS 
TO  WHOM  HE  RELATES  SOME  EXCITING 
EXPERIENCES  AS  MARKSMAN  AND 
HUNTER. 

SUNDAY  morning:  the  teacher  arose  early;  having 
breakfasted,  she  set  out  for  a  stroll;  Katie  was  her 
companion.  The  two  were  inseparable.  Katie 
evinced  a  love  for  the  teacher  only  exceeded  by  that 
she  bore  for  her  -mother.  As  yet  Miss  Wilton  had 
not  visited  the  suburbs  of  Sawyers  Bar.  She  had 
a  desire  to  become  familiar  with  the  outlying  dis- 
tricts. Nearly  a  mile  had  been  traversed  when  they 
came  to  a  house  which  stood  in  proximity  to  the 
highway.  "That,"  said  Katie,  "is  Mr.  Foley's 
cabin."  The  door  was  open ;  the  owner  appeared  in 
the  aperture.  "Good  morning,  Miss  Wilton,  won't 
you  come  in  and  be  rested  for  awhile,"  was  Mr. 
Foley's  salutation.  She  had  a  curiosity  to  inspect 
the  interior  of  a  miner's  home,  so  accepted  the  in- 
vitation. Mr.  Foley  was  preparing  his  breakfast, 
which  consisted  of  coffee,  fried  bacon  and  flap-jacks. 
He  poured  some  grease  into  a  frying  pan,  put  some 
batter  in  and  set  the  pan  on  top  of  some  hot  coals. 
When  the  cake  was  cooked  on  the  bottom  he  would 
seize  the  handle  of  the  pan,  give  the  cake  an  impetus 

57 


that  would  cause  it  to  shoot  up,  turn  over,  and  land 
batter  side  down  squarely  in  the  pan,  ready  to  be 
cooked  on  the  under  side.  The  teacher  watched  this 
dexterous  tossing  of  the  cakes  and  it  amused  her. 
She  said :  "Mr.  Foley,  you  are  an  adept  at  turning 
those  cakes."  "Yes,  it  is  done  by  a  simple  turn  of 
the  wrist.  Some  times  by  way  of  diversion,  I  toss 
them  up  the  chimney  and  then  go  outside  and  catch 
them  as  they  come  down  in  the  pan.  I  never  miss 
one."  "I  would  like  to  see  you  perform  that  feat 
now,"  said  the  lady.  "I  perceive  there  is  quite  a 
breeze  blowing.  Any  wind  would  have  a  tendency 
to  deflect  the  flap-jack  from  the  pan,"  said  Mr. 
Foley,  with  a  smile. 

The  cabin  was  a  log  structure  fourteen  feet  in 
length  by  twelve  feet  wide.  It  was  a  parlor,  bed- 
room, dining  room  and  kitchen,  all  in  one  room.  In 
one  end  was  a  fireplace,  constructed  of  rock  and 
mortar;  it  extended  from  the  floor  to  the  apex  of 
the  roof;  it  gradually  tapered  upward  to  insure  a 
good  draught.  It  would  easily  hold  a  four  foot 
stick  of  wood.  "That  is  a  large  chimney,"  observed 
the  lady.  "Yes,  it's  a  fair  size,  but  nothing  to  com- 
pare with  what  we  used  to  have  back  in  Missouri. 
Some  of  the  houses  were  built  a  hundred  feet  square. 
One  end  was  made  portable,  hung  on  hinges.  We 
would  hitch  three  or  four  yoke  of  oxen  to  a  large 
tree,  take  out  the  end  of  the  house,  haul  the  tree  and 
put  it  in  the  fireplace.  It  would  burn  and  keep  a  fire 
for  a  month.  Never  been  in  Missouri,  Miss  Wil- 
ton? Well,  it's  a  great  place;  by  courtesy  it  is 

58 


called  a  State,  but  it  is  really  a  foreign  possession. 
The  United  States  exercises  a  sort  of  protectorate 
over  it.  I  have  seen  young  men  and  girls  come  into 
town  from  the  country  farms  barefooted,  with  a  big 
wad  of  gum  in  their  mouths.  I  recall  one  couple. 
They  were  evidently  lovers,  for  they  were  very 
sweet  on  one  another.  Passing  a  confectionary 
store,  where  was  displayed  in  a  window  some  new 
made  ginger  bread — if  there  is  anything  in  the  eat- 
ing line  that  will  make  a  Missourian's  mouth  water 
it  is  ginger  bread — the  young  fellow  entered  the 
store  and  came  out  with  a  large  slice  in  his  hand, 
on  which  he  was  munching  away.  The  girl  looked 
at  the  ginger  bread  in  a  wishful  manner.  He  turned 
to  her  and  said,  'It's  lapping  good  truck,  Sal,  you 
had  best  buy  yourself  a  hunk.' ' 

Several  neighbors  had  quietly  dropped  in.  They 
saw  Foley  was  in  his  element  and  wished  to  hear 
him.  The  teacher  had  been  listening  attentively; 
at  the  same  time  she  was  surveying  the  furnishings 
of  the  cabin.  One  end  contained  a  bunk  and  bed. 
Over  the  bed,  where  it  could  be  reached  handily, 
was  a  Winchester  rifle,  held  in  place  by  deer  horns. 
On  the  wall  was  stretched  full  length  a  California 
lion's  hide.  On  the  floor,  by  the  side  of  the  bed, 
was  spread  a  black  bear  hide,  which  served  as  a 
rug.  Pointing  to  the  bear  and  lion  hides  the  lady 
said,  "I  presume  those  are  trophies  of  your  prowess 
as  a  hunter,  Mr.  Foley."  "Yes,  I  used  to  be  great 
in  the  pursuit  and  killing  of  wild  game;  I  was  a 
crack  shot.  In  fact,  I  was  never  beaten  but  once 

59 


in  my  life.  It  was  this  way :  My  fame  as  a  dead 
shot  was  known  both  far  and  near ;  whenever  a  -man 
asserted  he  was  the  best  marksman  in  any  par- 
ticular State,  some  friend  of  mine  was  close  by 
and  would  lay  a  wager  I  could  defeat  him.  A  day 
was  named  when  he  would  meet  me  and  the  match 
was  pulled  off.  I  invariably  won.  I  never  kept  an 
account  of  my  winnings,  but  I  won  thousands  of 
dollars.  A  man  came  along  one  day  and  accosted 
me.  'Are  you  Mr.  Foley?'  I  answered,  'Yes/ 
'Well,  I  have  heard  of  your  skill ;  I  have  traveled  a 
thousand  miles  to  challenge  you  to  a  shooting  con- 
test/ 'I  am  your  huckleberry,  when  do  you  want 
to  try  conclusions?'  I  asked.  'Tomorrow/  said  the 
stranger.  'Very  good,  I  will  be  on  hand/  I  replied. 
"The  next  day  a  large  crowd  was  present  to  wit- 
ness the  shooting.  The  stranger  inquired  if  I  was 
particular  where  the  match  was  held.  I  said  'No, 
any  old  place  will  suit  me/  The  place  he  selected 
to  put  the  target  was  a  hillside.  The  guns  were 
muzzle  loading  rifles;  magazine  guns  had  recently 
come  on  the  market  and  we  were  wary  of  them. 
The  distance  was  one  hundred  yards.  We  tossed 
up  a  coin  to  see  who  should  have  first  shot.  The 
stranger  won.  He  fired  and  hit  the  target  two  inch- 
es to  the  right  of  the  center.  It  was  my  turn.  I 
took  aim,  blazed  away  and  made  a  bull's  eye.  The 
bet  was  five  hundred  dollars  a  side.  The  stranger 
now  proposed  we  increase  the  distance  to  two  hun- 
dred yards  and  double  the  wager,  or  $1000  a  side. 
I  agreed.  This  time  I  won  the  choice  of  first  trial. 

60 


I  fired  and  once  more  made  a  bull's  eye.  My  second 
bullet  followed  the  course  of  the  first  one  identically, 
only  it  enlarged  the  hole  enough  so  there  was  no 
show  for  a  dispute.  The  stranger  tried  and  came 
within  an  inch  of  the  center,  but  lost  of  course.  He 
said  my  shooting  'was  great,  marvelous/  He 
viewed  the  distance  to  the  summit  of  the  hill  and 
computed  it  to  be  about  300  yards.  He  argued  that 
'he  was  better  at  a  still  longer  distance,  and  if  I 
would  agree  to  placing  the  target  fifty  feet  down 
on  the  other  side  of  the  summit  he  would  bet  all  the 
money  he  had  left.'  I  was  elated  with  my  victory 
in  the  two  previous  trials  and  figured  my  chance  as 
good  as  his,  so  consented.  In  case  neither  of  us  hit 
the  target  the  first  time  we  were  to  continue  shoot- 
ing until  one  did.  The  stranger  had  $3000.  He 
planked  it  down  and  I  covered  it.  Now  the  situa- 
tion was  this :  the  target  was  down  50  feet  from  the 
top  and  not  visible  to  either  of  us.  In  my  mind  it 
was  a  matter  of  guess  work.  I  won  the  first  effort ; 
aimed  for  the  top  of  the  ride,  and  let  her  go.  I 
missed  the  mark  slick  and  clean.  We  had  two  men 
stationed  on  the  ridge  to  note  the  effect.  It  was 
the  stranger's  turn.  He  was  very  methodical  in 
his  preparations.  From  his  pocket  he  brought  forth 
a  small  pair  of  scales.  He  poured  out  some  pow- 
der, carefully  weighed  it  until  there  was  just  a  cer- 
tain amount,  then  let  it  flow  into  the  gun.  Next  he 
took  a  piece  of  patching,  greased  and  weighed  this, 
and  put  it  in  the  muzzle ;  lastly  he  selected  a  bullet, 
weighed  it  and  rammed  it  down.  He  now  brought 

61 


forth  a  peculiar  shaped  cap,  placed  it  on  the  tube  of 
the  gun  and  said  he  was  ready.  I  took  notice  he 
raised  his  rifle  to  an  angle  of  about  33  degrees.  At 
the  report  of  his  gun  there  came  a  'hello'  from  the 
two  men,  'he  has  made  a  bull's  eye/  I  supposed  it 
was  all  conjecture  to  hit  that  target;  not  so  the 
stranger.  He  had  calculated  the  distance  to  a 
nicety.  He  had  put  just  enough  powder  in  his  gun 
to  carry  the  bullet  over  the  top,  from  there  the  at- 
traction of  gravitation  had  carried  the  bullet  down 
to  the  target  with  enough  force  to  indent  it.  It  was 
the  most  scientific  shooting  I  ever  saw.  I  learned 
afterwards  he  was  an  expert  at  this  style  of  mark- 
manship.  I  bantered  him  to  shoot  once  more,  but 
to  put  the  target  where  we  could  see  it.  He  gave 
me  the  horse  laugh.  He  had  $1500  to  the  good,  but 
it  broke  me  of  sucking  eggs.  The  wearer  of  that 
hide  you  see  gave  me  the  closest  call  to  'shuffling  off 
this  mortal  coil'  I  ever  had.  I  was  out  hunting, 
armed  with  my  trusty  muzzle  loading  rifle,  when  I 
ran  across  a  large  black  bear.  He  seemed  to  be  in 
an  ugly  mood  and  hankering  for  a  fight.  He  came 
towards  me  with  an  ominous  growl.  I  always  shot 
big  game  back  of  the  fore  shoulder;  one  shot  gen- 
erally sufficed  to  put  a  quietus  on  them.  I  fired, 
but  in  this  case  the  bullet  went  further  back  than  I 
calculated.  The  bear  was  badly  wounded,  but  full 
of  fight,  for  he  kept  coming.  He  was  so  close  I 
had  no  time  to  reload  my  rifle.  I  drew  my  bowie 
knife,  a  weapon  with  a  blade  fully  12  inches  in 
length,  and  was  ready  for  the  fray.  I  remember 

62 


saying  a  prayer,  as  follows :  'Lord  help  me  if  you 
can  to  kill  this  bear.  If  you  cannot  help  me,  do  not 
help  the  bear,  but  just  lay  low,  keep  cool  and  do 
nothing,  and  you  will  witness  the  greatest  combat 
you  ever  saw  in  your  life/  By  this  time  the  brute 
had  reared  up  and  with  mouth  open  was  on  me.  I 
held  -my  rifle  in  my  left  hand.  I  thrust  the  barrel 
into  his  jaws  to  give  him  something  to  whet  his 
teeth  on ;  with  the  bowie  in  my  right  hand  I  pro- 
ceeded to  transact  business  with  his  abdomen.  He 
soon  tired  of  chewing  on  the  gun  and  tried  to  mas- 
ticate my  arm  and  head.  I  plied  the  knife  with  all 
my  energy.  I  soon  felt  his  teeth  relax  on  my  arm 
and  I  knew  he  was  about  to  cash  in.  During  this 
broil  I  did  some  ducking  with  my  head  that  would 
have  done  credit  to  a  professional  pugilist.  Several 
times  he  caught  me  a  right  or  left  swing  with  his 
fore  paws  that  nearly  dazed  me.  At  length  the 
bear  fell  lifeless  at  my  feet.  I  sank  down  exhausted, 
and  it  was  some  time  before  I  recovered  strength 
to  make  my  way  home.  My  left  arm  was  badly 
lacerated  and  my  physiognomy  somewhat  dis- 
figured. You  have  heard  that  little  couplet: 

"  'When  I  was  young  and  in  my  prime, 
I  looked  so  fine  and  gay, 
I  had  to  take  the  dogs  along 
To  keep  the  girls  away/ 

"This  applied  to  me  before  the  fracas;  I  have 
never  been  the  Adonis  since.  What  I  esteem  as  the 
most  accurate  shooting  I  ever  did,  and  by  means 

63 


of  which  I  saved  a  mortal  from  death,  took  place 
when  I  was  in  New  York  City.  A  young  man  was 
engaged  in  painting  the  steeple  of  a  church,  I  think 
it  was  Trinity.  From  the  ground  to  where  he  was 
at  work  was  two  hundred  and  seventy  feet  perpen- 
dicular. A  small  platform  had  been  rigged.  By 
means  of  a  block  and  tackle  he  was  raised  and  low- 
ered. In  some  means,  not  explained,  the  end  of  the 
rope  became  loose,  slipped  through  the  pulley  and 
the  man  was  left  upon  the  platform  with  no  show 
to  get  down.  His  cries  for  help  attracted  a  large 
crowd.  I  noticed  the  gathering  and  made  haste  to 
the  scene.  Everybody  was  discussing  plans,  even 
to  procuring  an  airship,  but  none  struck  me  as 
practicable.  I  told  the  people  I  would  get  a  line 
up  and  get  him  down  safe.  They  wished  to  know 
the  modus  operandi  (that's  Latin).  I  told  them 
to  wait  and  see.  I  went  to  the  hotel  where 
I  was  staying,  got  my  shotgun  (faithful  old 
Betsy  I  call  her)  and  returned.  On  my  way  I 
called  in  at  a  store  and  bought  a  stout  coil  of  twine. 
I  measured  off  two  hundred  and  eighty  feet,  which 
allowed  ten  feet  surplus  after  reaching  the  top.  I 
measured  a  quantity  of  powder  that  I  deemed  suffi- 
cient to  force  the  twine  up  to  the  man.  I  put  the 
twine  in  the  muzzle  of  the  gun  and  rammed  it  down 
tightly ;  I  placed  a  cap  on  the  nipple,  and  was  ready 
for  the  trial.  During  these  preliminaries  I  was  sur- 
rounded by  an  eager  mass  of  people,  debating  the 
feasibility  of  -my  scheme.  The  majority  doubted 
its  success.  I  now  called  for  silence  and  explained 

64 


to  the  man  on  top  what  I  was  about  to  do.  I  cau- 
tioned him  to  be  cool  and  have  confidence  and 
catch  the  twine  if  it  came  within  his  reach.  I  took 
deliberate  aim  for  the  top  of  his  shoulder  and  pulled 
the  trigger.  I  heard  a  great  shout  at  the  report  of 
the  gun,  looked  up  and  saw  the  man  held  the  twine 
firmly  in  his  hand.  It  had  landed  squarely  across 
his  shoulder.  To  the  end  on  the  ground  we  tied  a 
half  inch  rope  in  diameter;  the  man  pulled  the  rope 
up,  passed  it  through  the  pulley  and  descended 
safely  to  terra  firma  (that's  more  Latin).  The  man 
called  me  'his  savior  and  offered  to  treat  to  the 
beer/  The  good  people  offered  to  get  me  on  the 
police  force,  but  I  declined." 

"In  one  of  the  old  school  readers,"  said  Miss  Wii- 
ton,  "is  a  story  of  a  man  who  was  on  top  of  a  high 
building  when  the  rope  gave  way  and  his  escape 
was  cut  off.  He  was  a  married  man,  and  his  wife 
knit  all  of  his  stockings  of  stout  yarn.  She  yelled 
to  him  to  take  off  one,  to  commence  at  the  toe  and 
unravel  it,  which  he  did,  until  there  was  enough 
in  length  to  reach  the  ground  and  fasten  a  rope  to. 
Why  did  not  your  New  Yorker  do  likewise?" 

"My  man  was  like  Jerry  Simpson,  he  did  not  wear 
any  socks,"  said  Foley. 

It  was  impossible  to  corner  Foley,  he  always  had 
an  answer  ready.  The  lady  looked  at  her  watch. 
"I  had  no  idea  it  was  so  late ;  it  seems  to  have  flown. 
Katie,  we  must  be  going.  Mr.  Foley,  we  have  been 
most  agreeably  entertained.  I  am  grateful  for  the 
pleasant  hours  spent.  I  hope  you  will  allow  us 

65 


to  return  at  some  future  time ;  I  am  sure  you  have 
not  exhausted  your  fund  of  anecdotes." 

"Miss  Wilton,  my  domicile  and  self  will  feel 
highly  honored  by  your  gracious  presence  when- 
ever you  elect  to  come.  You  will  find  the  latch 
string  dangling  from  the  outside;  pull  the  string, 
say  the  magic  words  'open  sesame/  and  you  are 
inside,"  spoke  Mr.  Foley. 

"Katie,  in  which  direction  does  Mrs.  O'Brien  live, 
I  wish  to  call  on  her,"  said  the  teacher. 

"I  will  take  you  to  her  house,"  answered  Katie. 


66 


CHAPTER  V. 

Miss  WILTON  CALLS  ON  DANNY  O'BRIEN'S 
MOTHER  AND  COMPLAINS. 
SAWYERS  BAR  HAS  AN  EPIDEMIC — DANNY 
FALLS  A  VICTIM.    Miss  WILTON  NURSES 
HIM. 

A  WALK  of  ten  minutes  brought  them  to  the 
dwelling.  "  Mrs.  O'Brien,  this  is  Miss  Wil- 
ton, our  school  teacher/'  announced  Katie. 

"Indade,  and  it's  glad  I  am  to  know  you,  mam, 
and  it's  a  purty  young  lady  you  are  to  be  shure," 
was  Mrs.  O'Brien's  greeting. 

"Mrs.  O'Brien,  I  have  called  to  converse  with 
you  in  regard  to  Danny,  your  son.  It  is  with  re- 
luctance that  I  make  a  complaint  against  him." 
Here  she  was  interrupted  by  Mrs.  O'Brien. 

"You  must  spake  plain  English  if  you  want  me 
to  know  what  yees  mane.  Your  high  fallutin  words 
is  all  Greek  to  me,  mam." 

Thus  admonished,  the  teacher  proceeded  in  the 
most  common  terms  to  relate  the  doings  of  the 
previous  week  at  school.  She  concluded  by  saying: 
"I  have  decided  to  suspend  Danny.  As  his  mother, 
I  thought  perhaps  by  your  talking  to  him  you  might 
exact  a  promise  to  stop  his  mischief,  and  I  would 
permit  him  to  return  to  school."  She  explained 
what  she  meant. 

67 


"It's  sorry  indade  I  am,  mam,  to  have  to  say  that 
he  will  no  more  mind  me  than  he  will  yees.  The 
young  spalpeen  thinks  he  is  too  big  and  knows  more 
than  his  poor  old  mither.  It's  many  times  I  says, 
'When  the  father  and  mither  can't  make  the  kids 
mind,  how  can  they  look  for  the  teacher  to  do  it/ 
It's  right  yees  are,  mam,  Danny  and  Tommy  Crane 
does  all  the  devilment  at  school.  It's  a  foine  bating 
that  boy  of  mine  needs,  bu.t  I  am  not  strong  enough 
to  give  it  him.  I'll  be  after  telling  his  father  when 
he  comes  over  from  the  mine.  Danny  has  an  old 
plug  of  a  horse  that  he  makes  a  dollar  out  of  now 
and  again,  hiring  him  to  men  to  go  to  the  mines. 
Danny  thinks  the  world  and  all  of  this  old  cayuse." 

Mrs.  O'Brien  was  a  sensible,  whole-souled  Irish 
woman.  Danny  was  her  only  child,  and  she  loved 
him  with  all  a  mother's  affection.  Still  she  knew  his 
mischievous  qualities,  and  did  not  try  to  shield  or 
uphold  him.  "I  hope  yees  has  no  hard  feelings 
agin  me,  mam,  for  the  young  gosoon's  dirty  capers. 
Come  and  see  me  agin,"  were  Mrs.  O'Brien's  parting 
words,  as  the  teacher  arose  to  depart.  "I  have  only 
the  kindest  wishes  for  you.  I  do  not  blame  you 
in  the  least  for  Danny's  disobedience;  it  is  unfor- 
tunate, that  is  all.  I  shall  surely  visit  you  again, 
and  hope  my  errand  will  be  more  pleasant.  Now, 
good-bye,"  said  the  teacher. 

Monday  morning  the  teacher  held  a  conference 
with  Mr.  Davis  and  informed  him  of  her  resolution 
to  suspend  Danny  on  circumstantial  evidence.  "I 
must  be  firm.  If  I  allow  this  offense  to  pass  without 

68 


rebuke,  they  are  apt  to  commit  a  more  serious  one 
next  time.  I  will  make  an  example  of  him."  "Yes, 
pursue  a  vigorous  policy;  the  Trustees  and  com- 
munity will  uphold  you,  affairs  will  run  smoothly, 
and  you  will  be  rid  of  annoyance  for  the  rest  of 
the  term/'  was  Mr.  Davis'  advice. 

Danny  had  reported  to  Miss  Bartle  the  progress 
made  during  the  past  week,  and  that  lady  was  in 
great  glee.  He  informed  her  that  the  teacher  had 
visited  his  mother  and  announced  her  determina- 
tion to  suspend  him  from  school.  "I  am  going  to 
stay  away  and  not  give  her  the  opportunity/'  said 
that  young  hopeful.  "You  might  absent  yourself 
for  a  couple  of  weeks  until  the  thing  has  blown 
over ;  then  return  and  continue  the  annoyance.  One 
more  week  like  last  will  see  her  finish,"  said  Miss 
Bartle. 

The  scholars  were  all  present  Monday,  with  the 
exception  of  Danny.  The  news  that  he  would  not 
be  allowed  to  attend  school  had  a  subduing  effect 
on  the  boys,  so  their  conduct  was  exemplary. 

The  Black  Bear  Gold  Quartz  Mining  Company, 
located  seven  miles  from  Sawyers  Bar,  needed  more 
men.  A  notice  of  their  wants  was  sent  to  Grass 
Valley,  California.  Eight  men  came  up  in  response 
to  the  call  to  work.  Sawyers  Bar  was  the  terminus 
of  the  wagon  road.  From  this  place  was  a  trail  to 
each  mine.  Passengers  and  supplies  were  con- 
veyed by  means  of  saddle  and  pack  animals.  Danny 
O'Brien  was  the  possessor  of  a  horse  which  for  a 
stipulated  sum  he  leased  to  travelers.  When  this 

69 


party  of  eight  men  arrived  at  Sawyers  Bar,  Danny 
and  his  horse  were  hired  to  take  a  load  of  baggage 
to  the  Black  Bear  Mine.  He*  made  the  journey 
safely,  but  on  his  return  made  mention  that  one  of 
the  men,  a  Mr.  Johnson,  had  complained  of  a  head- 
ache and  not  feeling  well.  No  attention  was  paid 
to  this ;  a  headache  is  of  common  occurrence.  The 
next  day  a  call  came  over  the  telephone  for  the 
doctor  at  Sawyers  Bar.  Dr.  Raines  went  over,  ex- 
amined the  sick  man  and  pronounced  it  a  case  of 
small  pox.  The  doctor  prescribed  for  the  patient, 
issued  orders  that  he  be  isolated  from  the  other  men, 
and  that  he  be  provided  with  nurses.  The  doctor 
gave  information  to  all  the  men  as  to  what  preventa- 
tives  and  disinfectants  to  use,  and  returned. 

On  his  arrival  at  Sawyers  Bar  he  informed  the 
citizens  there  was  a  case  of  small  pox  at  Black 
Bear.  The  news  spread  instantly;  there  was  the 
greatest  excitement;  nothing  else  was  talked  of. 
The  people  concluded  that  those  eight  men  had 
brought  the  malady  from  Grass  Valley  and  their 
stoppage  of  transit  at  Sawyers  Bar  had  exposed  the 
whole  community  to  the  dread  disease.  The  Salmon 
country  had  never  experienced  a  small  pox  epidemic. 
The  major  portion  of  the  people  had  never  seen  a 
case;  their  knowledge  of  what  it  was  had  been 
gained  by  reading  and  hearing.  Some  were  in- 
clined to  be  skeptical ;  they  argued  the  doctor  might 
be  mistaken.  To  set  all  doubts  at  rest  the  County 
Physician  was  sent  a  telegram.  He  came,  the  two 
doctors  went  over,  examined  the  invalid,  and  the 

70 


County  Physician  confirmed  the  statement  that  it 
was  a  genuine  case  of  small  pox.  He  told  the  peo- 
ple they  must  use  every  precaution  to  prevent 
its  spread.  On  learning  the  truth,  one  son  of  the 
Celtic  Isle  sped  away  to  Etna  Mills.  On  reaching 
there  he  gave  vent  to  the  following:  "Folks,  kape 
away  from  Black  Bear;  they  is  dying  by  the  hun- 
dreds. A  man  just  gits  a  headache  and  then  turns 
up  his  toes.  They  calls  it  small  or  little  pox/' 

A  meeting  was  held  that  evening.  Measures  were 
discussed  and  a  system  of  quarantine  adopted.  The 
other  portions  of  the  county  declared  a  quarantine 
against  the  Salmon  country.  All  travel  was  sus- 
pended; a  general  exodus  from  Sawyers  Bar  took 
place  to  the  mountains  adjacent  to  the  town.  The 
mail  carrier  was  instructed  not  to  enter  the  town; 
a  man  was  detailed  to  meet  him  half  a  mile  away; 
the  mail  sacks  and  contents  were  fumigated  on  their 
arrival  and  departure.  Every  approach  was  guarded 
day  and  night ;  every  available  man  was  required  to 
take  his  turn  at  sentry  duty.  Every  person  carried 
a  lump  of  asafetida ;  many  were  vaccinated ;  every 
device  was  resorted  to  in  an  effort  to  combat  the 
contagion. 

Three  days  had  elapsed  since  Danny  O'Brien 
accompanied  the  men  from  Grass  Valley  to  Black 
Bear.  He  complained  of  a  headache  and  burning 
sensation  all  over  his  body.  The  doctor  was  sum- 
moned and  said  it  was  another  case  of  small  pox. 
He  told  Mrs.  O'Brien  Danny  must  have  faithful 
nursing.  Their  dwelling  house  was  in  the  suburbs ; 

71 


a  yellow  flag  was  displayed  and  the  place  avoided. 
The  mother  was  alone.  The  father  was  employed 
at  Black  Bear.  Mrs.  O'Brien  wished  to  send  for 
her  husband  when  Danny  was  stricken,  but  on 
account  of  his  being  exposed  over  there,  the  citizens 
persuaded  her  from  doing  so.  For  thirty  hours  the 
loving  mother  watched  by  the  bedside  of  her  son, 
giving  the  medicine  according  to  directions  and  min- 
istering to  his  wants.  After  her  long  vigil  the  doc- 
tor noticed  her  exhausted  condition  and  realized  she 
must  have  someone  to  relieve  her.  The  good  wo- 
man had  never  complained  or  asked  for  help.  The 
physician  hurried  to  town,  made  known  the 
woman's  predicament  and  urged  the  necessity  for 
prompt  action.  Self-preservation,  the  first  law  of 
nature,  was  very  much  in  evidence  when  the  sub- 
ject of  acting  as  nurse  was  broached.  Many  were 
the  excuses  offered ;  some  could  not  go  because  they 
had  families,  they  might  bring  the  disease  home  to 
their  loved  ones.  Many  wouldn't  go  under  any  con- 
sideration ;  money  was  no  inducement.  The  doctor 
bethought  of  Miss  Jessie  Bartle ;  he  knew  the  friend- 
ship that  existed  between  her  and  Danny,  he 
thought  likely  she  would  volunteer.  He  called  on 
the  lady,  made  known  his  mission  and  urged  her  to 
go  if  only  for  a  few  days  until  Mrs.  O'Brien  could 
recuperate.  She  heard  him  through,  then  replied: 
"Me  nurse  a  small  pox  patient?  No  indeed,  the  dan- 
ger is  too  great;  I  am  young,  life  is  too  sweet  for 
me  to  incur  any  risk.  You  will  have  to  look  else- 
where, I  must  decline."  Almost  in  despair,  the  doc- 

72 


tor  sought  Mr.  Davis.  He  knew  if  any  man  could 
provide  an  aid,  it  was  the  merchant.  As  he  en- 
tered the  store  he  perceived  Mr.  Davis  and  Miss 
Wilton  in  earnest  conversation.  He  saluted,  asked 
to  be  excused  if  he  were  intruding,  but  pleaded  his 
business  was  pressing.  He  briefly  stated  the  condi- 
tions at  Mrs.  O'Brien's  and  his  attempts  to  get  as- 
sistance. "The  woman  is  worn  out,  she  must  have 
some  one  to  relieve  her  and  that  right  away ;  it  will 
be  an  act  of  charity,  Mr.  Davis,  if  you  can  furnish 
a  helper/' 

The  merchant  was  thinking  whom  he  could  get, 
when  the  lady  teacher  said:  "Doctor,  I  will  go." 

"Bless  me,  I  had  not  thought  of  you  in  that 
capacity,"  exclaimed  the  man  of  medicine.  "When 
you  approached  us,  we  had  decided  to  close  the 
school  until  such  time  as  the  epidemic  had  spent 
its  force." 

"I  am  at  leisure,  I  offer  my  humble  services," 
said  the  lady. 

"Have  you  considered  the  subject  and  given  seri- 
ous thought  of  the  danger?"  asked  the  physician. 

"Yes,  it  is  a  condition  that  does  not  require  much 
study.  I  have  youth  and  health  and  the  chances 
are  favorable  that  I  may  not  contract  the  disease.  If 
I  should,  I  have  confidence  that  some  good  Samari- 
tan will  care  for  -me,"  answered  the  lady. 

"Your  generous  offer  came  as  'a  ray  of  sunshine 
from  out  a  cloudy  sky/  I  was  at  a  loss  whom  to 
ask.  I  will  not  try  to  dissuade  you.  If  you  should 
fall  a  victim  to  the  malady  you  will  not  lack  for 
attention,"  said  Mr.  Davis. 

73 


"Doctor,  I  must  go  and  pack  what  necessary 
articles  I  will  need/'  spoke  the  lady. 

The  physician  went  with  her  to  Mrs.  Fremont's. 
The  teacher  told  that  lady  of  the  situation,  and  re- 
quested her  to  help  to  get  ready.  "My  dear,  I  will 
not  protest  against  your  going.  It  is  a  noble,  Chris- 
tian deed.  I  pray  Heaven  may  protect  you." 

Her  satchel  packed,  she  bade  Mrs.  Fremont  and 
Katie  an  affectionate  farewell.  Her  eyes  were  moist 
as  she  said  "Adieu." 

On  the  journey  the  doctor  gave  her  instructions 
as  to  the  care  of  the  patient,  and  furnished  her  with 
preventives.  On  arriving  at  the  house  he  knocked 
on  the  door,  but  received  no  answer.  Turning  the 
knob,  they  entered  and  went  to  the  sick  room.  Sit- 
ting in  a  chair  by  the  bed,  fast  asleep,  was  Mrs. 
O'Brien ;  tired  nature  had  asserted  herself  and  over- 
come her  efforts  to  keep  awake.  The  doctor  aroused 
her.  With  a  scared  look  and  a  start,  she  began  to 
make  excuses.  "That  will  do,  no  apologies  are  ex- 
pected. I  have  brought  a  nurse.  You  must  go  to 
bed  instantly.  Miss  Wilton,  assist  her  to  undress, 
and  I  will  remain  until  you  return." 

The  faithful  mother  wanted  to  ask  questions,  but 
the  physician  interrupted,  saying:  "You  can  talk 
tomorrow;  sleep  is  what  you  require  now." 

In  an  adjoining  room  the  mother  sought  a  bed, 
and  Miss  Wilton  returned  to  take  up  her  watch  at 
Danny's  side.  "I  feel  relieved  at  having  you  here. 
I  will  return  tomorrow,"  said  the  doctor.  He  left 
medicine  to  be  administered  every  two  hours.  Danny 

74 


was  in  a  stupor;  at  times  he  was  rational.  In  one 
of  the  lucid  spells,  he  called  "Mother,  where  are 
you?"  "Hush,"  said  the  new  nurse;  "your  mother 
is  worn  out  and  is  sleeping.  I  am  here  to  wait  on 
you  if  you  want  anything." 

He  opened  his  eyes  and  said :  "You  look  like  the 
teacher;  are  you  really  her?"  "Yes,  I  am  the 
teacher."  "And  you  are  taking  care  of  me?  I  do 
not  deserve  such  kindness  from  you;  I  put  the 
pepper  on  the  stove.  I  have  been  a  mean  boy ;  I  am 
ashamed." 

"There,  I  forgive  you.  You  must  not  talk  until 
you  are  better.  Take  this  medicine  and  go  to  sleep." 
He  obeyed,  and  soon  fell  into  a  slumber. 

The  physician  came  next  morning.  He  took  the 
patient's  temperature  and  felt  his  pulse.  "This  is 
the  most  obstinate  case  I  have.  He  has  a  high 
fever.  I  am  striving  to  break  the  fever  and  force 
it  outward.  It  is  internal  now ;  he  is  not  as  well  as 
yesterday.  Continue  the  medicine  as  directed.  I 
must  go  to  Black  Bear." 

Mrs.  O'Brien  awoke  after  sleeping  ten  hours.  Her 
first  words  were  :  "  You  blessed  angel ;  you  are  the 
last  one  in  Sawyers  Bar  I  looked  tor  to  come  and 
help  me.  Shure,  but  I  felt  cheap  ^vhen  you  found 
me  asleep."  She  wanted  to  continue  to  praise  Miss 
Wilton,  but  this  lady  said:  "I  have  done  nothing 
to  merit  praise  as  yet."  She  told  the  mother  the 
doctor  had  been  there  and  said  the  boy  was  "about 
the  same." 

75 


That  night  the  doctor  came  and  announced :  "Two 
new  cases  at  Black  Bear.  It  looks  like  we  are  in 
for  it."  He  said  Danny  was  no  better,  but  there 
would  be  a  change  for  better  or  worse  inside  of 
twelve  hours.  That  evening  a  rap  was  heard  on 
the  door.  To  the  query,  "Who  is  there?"  came  a 
voice:  "It  is  I,  Foley,  with  a  roll  of  bedding.  I 
have  been  worried  about  her  and  I  have  come  to 
sleep  in  the  woodshed  nights.  It  is  not  prudent  to 
leave  two  women  without  assistance.  Should 
Danny  become  violent,  you  could  not  subdue  him. 
There  are  stages  in  small  pox  when  the  patient 
becomes  delirious  and  has  to  be  tied  down.  If  this 
should  occur,  scream,  and  I  will  be  to  your  aid  in 
short  order." 

"It  is  so  considerate  of  you,  Mr.  Foley."  She 
told  him  the  boy  was  in  a  critical  state  and  the  next 
twelve  hours  would  decide  his  fate.  She  bade  him 
good  night  and  prepared  to  retire. 

It  was  4  A.  M.  Mrs.  O'Brien  was  on  duty.  A 
piercing  yell  awakened  the  teacher.  She  ran  to  the 
sick  room.  Struggling  on  the  floor  for  supremacy 
was  Danny  and  his  mother.  Foley  arrived  at  the 
same  time.  It  required  the  combined  strength  of 
all  three  to  subjugate  the  boy  and  place  him  back 
in  bed.  He  was  securely  fastened  to  the  bedstead, 
and  Foley  went  for  the  doctor.  In  the  delirium  he 
told  of  the  conspiracy  between  Miss  Bartle  and 
himself,  and  implored  the  teacher  not  to  expel  him. 
The  physician  came,  gave  Danny  an  opiate  which 
soon  quieted  him.  "The  situation  is  grave ;  I  do  not 

76 


wish  to  conceal  the  truth.  Unless  I  can  compel 
suppuration  and  force  it  externally,  we  must  prepare 
for  the  worst.  I  will  remain  until  the  crisis  is 
passed." 

In  piteous,  heart-rending  tones  the  mother  pleaded 
with  the  man  of  medicine  to  exhaust  every  expedi- 
ent to  save  her  only  son.  She  offered  him  every 
resource  they  possessed  if  he  was  successful.  The 
physician  was  affected;  he  assured  the  mother  he 
was  using  every  -means  known  to  him  to  induce  a 
favorable  turn  of  the  disease.  The  anxiety  of  the 
medical  man  was  acute.  For  two  hours  he  watched 
the  patient  for  some  auspicious  symptom.  A  tiny 
drop  of  perspiration  gladdened  his  visage  and  re- 
lieved the  strain  he  underwent.  Facing  the  mother, 
he  said:  "Your  son  will  live  and  get  well."  She 
dropped  on  her  knees  by  the  bed,  and  her  lips  moved 
in  silent  prayer.  The  patient's  body  was  now 
bathed  in  perspiration.  The  physician  explained 
the  treatment  to  be  given  for  the  future.  "The 
boy's  recovery  depends  entirely  on  you.  With 
proper  care  it  is  only  a  question  of  a  short  time 
when  the  boy  will  be  around." 


77 


CHAPTER  VI. 

MR.  FOLEY'S  INTERESTING  REMINISCENCES 
AND  ANECDOTES  OF  MISSOURI. 
Miss  WILTON  AND  Miss  BARTLE  MEET. 
SCHOOL  REOPENS. 

THE  enforcement  of  the  quarantine  had  a  de- 
pressing effect  on  Sawyers  Bar.  Business  men 
complained  that  sales  had  decreased  one-half. 
A  gloom  was  cast  over  the  community  by  the  death 
of  a  patient  at  Black  Bear.  He  disregarded  instruc- 
tions when  he  was  progressing  finely,  took  a  cold, 
suffered  a  relapse  and  died.  Yellow  fever  and  small 
pox  days  are  the  days  that  try  men's  souls  and 
women's  hearts.  Saturday  evening  the  men  con- 
gregated at  the  store  of  Mr.  Davis.  This  was  the 
favorite  rendezvous  to  review  the  past.  Judge 
Barnes  and  Mr.  Foley  were  present.  It  was  the 
delight  of  Mr.  Foley  to  get  the  Judge  into  a  crowd 
and,  in  the  parlance  of  the  day,  "josh  the  Mis- 
sourians." 

He  began:  "When  you  and  I  were  children, 
back  in  Old  Missouri,  our  parents  used  to  turn  us 
out  in  the  spring  to  browse,  to  live  on  grass  and 
berries.  They  would  let  us  stay  out  all  summer. 
Once  in  a  while  some  parent  would  come  out  and 
throw  salt  to  us,  same  as  they  do  to  cattle.  At 

78 


the  approach  of  winter  the  parents  would  come  to- 
gether and  say,  'It's  about  time  we  were  gathering 
in  the  young  ones/  A  day  was  set,  when  they 
would  mount  horses,  take  all  the  dogs,  and  the 
round-up  would  commence.  The  dogs  were  trained 
for  this  sport.  They  always  caught  a  youngster  by 
a  leg  and  held  him  until  the  men  came  and  tied  him. 
When  all  were  secured  we  were  put  in  wagons, 
hauled  to  our  homes,  and  for  a  few  days  closely 
watched  to  prevent  our  escape  to  the  tall  timber. 
We  soon  became  tame  and  tractable." 

"No  such  thing  ever  took  place,"  said  the  Judge. 

"It's  a  sure  thing.  I  can  show  the  scars  yet 
where  the  dogs  bit  me.  You  have  the  scars  too, 
Judge;  pull  up  your  trousers  and  let  us  see  your 
legs." 

The  Judge  refused. 

"Did  I  ever  tell  you  my  dream?" 

"No,"  came  from  a  number  of  voices;  "let's  hear 
it." 

"I  dreamt  I  died  and  went  to  the  gate  that  bars 
the  entrance  to  Heaven.  I  knocked  for  admission. 
'Who's  there?'  asked  Saint  Peter.  It's  I,  Foley, 
from  Missouri,'  I  answered.  'Missouri,  Missouri,' 
he  repeated,  'I  never  heard  of  such  a  place.'  'Have 
you  a  map  of  the  United  States  handy?'  I  asked.  He 
produced  the  map  and  I  hunted  up  Missouri  and 
showed  him.  'Well,'  said  he,  'I  see  there  is  such  a 
State,  but  you  are  the  first  man  to  come  here  from 
that  place.  The  others  must  have  gone  down  to 
Hades.'  He  looked  up  my  record  and  said  I  was 

79 


'all  right/  and  showed  me  the  splendor  of  Heaven. 
I  was  favorably  impressed  and  decided  to  stay  with 
him.  At  this  time  we  heard  a  rap  at  the  gate.  He 
answered  the  summons,  then  came  and  said,  'They 
are  coming  sort  of  thick  from  Missouri,  now.  Here's 
another  man  from  your  State/  'What's  his  name?' 
I  asked.  'Mr.  Harry  Ward/  said  Saint  Peter.  I 
knew  this  man  Ward;  he  lived  adjoining  me.  He 
was  the  biggest  scoundrel  in  thirteen  States.  I  told 
Saint  Peter  of  his  reputation  and  added,  'Surely  you 
are  not  going  to  let  him  in  here?'  He  looked  in  the 
big  book  and  said,  'I  cannot  find  anything  against 
him,  so  I  will  admit  Mr.  Ward/  'Hold  on,  I  want 
to  get  out  if  he  comes  in/  I  said.  Saint  Peter  said, 
'All  right,  go  and  see  Old  Horns  and  Forked  Tail/ 
I  left  and  went  down  to  the  lower  regions  where 
Satan  presides.  He  received  me  cordially,  and  be- 
gan showing  me  his  realm.  He  had  it  divided  off 
into  separate  apartments  for  each  nation.  'Here  is 
where  the  English  are  burning.  Here  are  the  Ger- 
mans. Here  the  French/  and  so  on  for  each  na- 
tionality. Coming  to  the  United  States,  he  showed 
me  where  men  from  every  State  were  burning.  Each 
State  was  represented  except  Missouri.  I  re- 
marked to  Old  Nick  that  I  had  not  seen  any  Mis- 
sourians  and  wanted  to  know  if  there  were  any.  'Oh, 
yes,  we  have  lots  of  them.  Come,  I  will  show  you/ 
He  led  the  way  to  a  large  room,  opened  the  door 
and  I  saw  a  lot  of  men  hanging  by  the  neck.  'These 
are  Missourians.  We  have  to  hang  them  up  to  dry 

80 


and  let  them  season  for  a  time.  They  are  too  green 
to  burn/  I  told  him  I  was  from  Kalamazoo,  and 
then  I  awoke. 

"I  can  go  into  any  city,  wherever  there  is  a  body 
of  men,  let  them  be  strangers  to  me,  and  pick  out 
every  Missourian  in  the  crowd." 

"How  would  you  do  it,  Foley?"  asked  the  audi- 
ence. 

"Simplest  thing  in  the  world.  I  would  go  into 
the  midst  of  a  throng,  say  '  Gentlemen,  I  want  to 
address  you  on  an  important  matter/  As  soon  as  I 
had  attracted  their  attention  and  got  them  inter- 
ested, every  Missourian  would  begin  picking  his 
nose.  It's  a  sure  give  away." 

The  Judge  could  stand  it  no  longer.  "Look 
here,  Foley,  if  you  do  not  quit  slandering  Mis- 
sourians  I  will  commit  a  breach  of  the  peace." 

Affairs  now  moved  smoothly  in  the  Salmon 
region.  The  smallpox  patients  were  rapidly  con- 
valescing. No  new  cases  were  on  the  docket  and 
the  people  expected  the  quarantine  would  be  raised 
presently. 

Danny  related  to  Miss  Wilton  the  plot  concocted 
by  Miss  Jessie  Bartle,  to  which  he  was  an  accom- 
plice, to  rid  the  school  of  her. 

"Why  should  Miss  Bartle  seek  to  injure  me?  I 
am  barely  on  speaking  terms  with  her  and  have 
never  by  word  or  action  done  the  least  thing  to 
arouse  her  ire." 

81 


"She  is  jealous  of  your  good  looks  and  winning 
ways.  She  has  a  sweetheart,  Mr.  Clancy,  and  she 
fears  you  may  take  him  away  from  her,"  said 
Danny. 

"The  idea  is  too  absurd  to  think  about,"  laughed 
the  lady. 

The  Doctor  told  Miss  Wilton  it  was  not  neces- 
sary to  remain  any  longer  as  nurse;  she  could  re- 
sume her  duties  as  teacher  whenever  expedient. 
"If  I  go  among  the  people  is  there  any  danger  of 
contagion?"  she  asked. 

"No,  that  epoch  is  passed.  Burn  the  apparel  you 
have  been  wearing,"  said  the  physician. 

She  informed  Mrs.  O'Brien  of  her  intention  to 
leave. 

"Stay  with  us,  you  can  have  the  best  suite  of 
rooms.  You  came  to  me  as  an  Angel  of  Mercy 
when  no  one  else  would  come.  You  risked  your 
life;  my  family  are  your  debtors;  all  I  own  is  yours 
for  the  asking." 

"My  dear  woman,  I  only  followed  the  golden 
rule;  I  did  not  come  here  for  pay  or  glory.  Mrs. 
Fremont  was  very  kind,  and  expects  me  to  return 
to  her." 

The  Doctor  made  a  canvas  among  the  public  in 
favor  of  Miss  Wilton  resuming  her  vocation.  He 
told  them  her  excellent  physical  condition  rendered 
her  immune  from  the  disease.  All  were  agreeable 
with  the  exception  of  Miss  Bartle.  A  feeble  pro- 
test came  from  the  young  lady,  who  said  "the  teach- 
er having  been  in  contact  wtih  the  epidemic  might 
spread  it  among  the  scholars." 

82 


Attired  in  new  raiment  the  teacher  made  ready 
to  leave.  Mrs.  O'Brien  shed  tears  when  she  bade 
farewell.  On  the  way  to  town  Miss  Wilton  met 
Mr.  Davis;  salutations  were  exchanged.  He  said, 
"I  was  on  my  way  to  assist  you  to  move  back  to 
your  former  quarters."  He  told  of  the  objection 
made  by  Miss  Bartle.  She  in  turn  told  him  of  the 
confession  made  by  Danny  O'Brien.  He  expressed 
surprise  that  a  young  lady  would  condescend  to 
such  pernicious  practice.  They  came  to  the  mer- 
chant's store,  entered,  and  there  was  Miss  Bartle 
making  some  purchases.  "It  is  an  old  saying,  talk 
of  Old  Nick  and  he  will  appear,"  said  Mr.  Davis, 
laughing.  The  teacher  walked  straight  to  where 
Miss  Bartle  was  and  said,  "I  am  informed  that  you 
have  became  very  solicitous  for  the  welfare  of  the 
children,  to  the  extent  that  you  would  like  to  see 
me  superceded.  This  conduct  strikes  me  as  am- 
biguous, in  view  of  the  fact  that  a  few  weeks  past 
you  were  engaged  in  a  conspiracy  to  disrupt  the 
school." 

Blushing,  Miss  Bartle  answered:  "'Tis  false,  I 
did  not  try  to  break  up  the  school." 

"I  reiterate  you  did.  Danny  O'Brien  has  stated 
you  were  the  instigator  of  a  plot  which,  if  carried 
out,  would  have  driven  any  teacher  with  a  spark  of 
pride  or  self  respect  to  resign.  You  promised  a 
paltry  sum  of  five  dollars,  one  dollar  of  which  you 
paid,  the  balance  to  be  given  when  the  reprehensible 
work  was  perfected.  Danny,  ashamed  of  his  part, 
has  asked  for  pardon.  When  he  was  hovering 

83 


near  to  death  you  were  implored  to  go  to  his  as- 
sistance; you  absolutely  refused.  You  are  utterly 
devoid  of  any  delicacy  of  feeling.  What  I  have 
ever  done  to  merit  such  treatment  from  you  is  be- 
yond my  comprehension.  During  my  sojourn  at 
Sawyers  Bar  I  shall  ignore  your  existence,  and 
refuse  to  recognize  you  in  public  or  private."  Miss 
Wilton  never  lost  her  temper  during  this  denuncia- 
tion, which  was  dignified  and  withering. 

Several  people  heard  the  criticism  of  Miss  Bartle. 
This  lady  -made  no  reply;  she  was  speechless.  The 
teacher  said,  "I  am  at  leisure,  Mr.  Davis."  The 
two  walked  towards  Mrs.  Fremont's. 

"I  wanted  to  pat  you  on  the  back  and  say  bravo. 
She  deserved  the  rebuke,"  spoke  the  merchant. 
"If  the  protest  had  come  from  a  parent  I  would 
have  given  it  consideration,  but  her  motive  is  one 
of  petty  jealousy,  which  has  no  foundation." 

They  agreed  the  school  should  re-open  on  Mon- 
day. They  reached  Mrs.  Fremont's;  that  lady  met 
them  at  the  door. 

"You  darling,  I  see  you  have  come  to  stay.  I 
have  been  so  lonely  and  missed  you  so  much." 

"Yes,  the  prodigal  has  returned.  Have  you  a 
fatted  calf  to  kill?"  asked  the  teacher. 

"No,  but  I  have  some  nice  fat  chickens  and  we 
will  have  a  chicken  dinner."  Katie  came  in. 

"Oh,  teacher,  you  don't  know  how  glad  I  am  to 
see  you  back.  I  must  have  a  kiss." 

Punctually  at  9  a.  m.  Monday  there  gathered  at 
school  the  pupils  who  could  attend.  The  teacher 

84 


said,  "Children,  I  think  we  are  fortunate  at  having 
escaped  so  lightly.  I  hope  we  will  get  on  nicely 
and  have  no  more  disagreeable  experience."  It 
was  announced  the  quarantine  would  be  lifted  in 
three  days,  and  traffic  and  travel  with  the  outside 
world  resumed. 

A  young  man,  whose  abode  was  at  Sawyers  Bar, 
was  in  love  with  a  young  lady,  a  resident  of  Etna 
Mills.  She  returned  his  affection.  Once  a  week  he 
paid  a  visit  to  his  Inamorita.  During  the  quaran- 
tine this  privilege  was  denied.  He  chafed  under  the 
restraint,  but  had  to  submit  to  the  inevitable.  He 
called  her  up  over  the  telephone.  A  bachelor  who 
had  a  phone  on  the  line  between  the  two  places 
took  down  the  receiver.  He  overheard  this  con- 
versation : 

"Minnie,  darling,  is  that  you?" 

"Yes,  it's  me,  dear  George." 

"Say,  it's  awful  that  I  cannot  go  and  see  you. 
Why,  it's  two  whole  weeks  since  I  last  saw  you, 
sweetheart." 

"Yes,  dear,  it's  just  horrid.  Say,  George,  do  you 
think  any  of  the  smallpox  bacilli  could  travel  out 
here  over  the  wire  and  get  on  my  lips?" 

"I  don't  know,  darling,  but  I  hardly  think  so. 
Say,  Minnie,  I  send  you  over  the  wire  a  dozen  hugs 
and  a  bushel  of  kisses ;  did  you  receive  them  ?" 

"Well,  I  felt  something,  dear.  Your  tootsey 
wootsey  is  lonesome.  Come  out  when  you  can. 
I  send  you  hugs  and  kisses  in  return.  Goodbye, 
lovey." 

/*?  85 

{  UNfvr          y  I 


"Goodbye,  sweetheart/' 

George  was  in  the  act  of  hanging  up  when  the 
measly  bachelor  butted  in,  "Say,  George,  the  tele- 
phone company  cannot  afford  to  send  hugs  and 
kisses  at  the  usual  rates.  They  are  heavy  and  lia- 
ble to  break  the  line." 

"Who  are  you?"  asked  George. 

"Say,  George,  do  you  think  that  bacilli  germ  hit 
Minnie  in  the  kisser?" 

"You  dirty  sneak,  you  have  been  listening." 

"Say,  George,  tootsey  wootsey  is  lonesome  and 
says  come  out.  She  sends  you  hugs  and  kisses; 
yum,  yum." 

"I  would  punch  your  head  if  I  knew  who  you 
were." 

"Goodbye,  sweet  heart,  ha,  ha." 

This  was  the  limit,  George  hung  up  the  receiver 
with  a  bang.  "It's  a  shame  that  a  man  cannot  talk  to 
a  lady  without  some  eavesdropper  taking  it  all  in," 
spoke  George  to  the  telephone  operator. 

"He  must  be  a  Missourian,"  said  Foley. 

George  strode  away.  He  was  in  no  humor  for 
guying. 


86 


CHAPTER  VII. 

SAWYERS  BAR  CELEBRATES  THE  END  OF  THE 
EPIDEMIC. 

Miss  WILTON  AND  MR.  FOLEY  THE  "OB- 
SERVED OF  ALL  OBSERVERS"  AT  THE  BALL. 
MR.  FOLEY  ENTERTAINS  THE  GUESTS 
WITH  AMUSING  ANECDOTES. 

THE  prohibitory  measures  repealed,  a  free  ball 
and  supper  was  advertised  to  celebrate  the 
period  so  luckily  passed.  It  was  a  grand  aff air; 
every  one  present,  hand  shaking  and  good  fellow- 
ship was  the  order  of  the  evening.  Foley,  as  he 
described  it,  was  dressed  in  his  best  bib  and  tucker. 
He  was  ubiquitous. 

Miss  Wilton  was  there.  She  was  easily  the 
belle  of  the  ball.  Her  handsome  features  and  dis- 
tinguished mien  eclipsed  all  others.  She  was  re- 
peatedly importuned  to  dance,  but  quietly  declined. 
Her  answer  was  the  same  to  all :  "I  have  forsaken 
dancing."  Foley  came,  took  a  seat  by  her  side,  and 
urged  her  to  dance  just  once  with  him. 

"If  there  is  a  man  in  Sawyers  Bar  to  whom  I 
would  concede  that  preference,  Mr.  Foley,  it  is  you. 
If  I  tripped  the  light  fantastic  toe  I  would  have  to 
rescind  my  resolution  not  to  dance;  I  have  already 

87 


refused  a  number.  You  appreciate  the  position  I 
occupy,  and  I  feel  you  will  excuse  me.  I  came  with 
Katie ;  if  you  are  not  provided  with  a  partner  you 
may  escort  me  to  supper,"  said  the  teacher. 

"I  will  be  delighted  and  feel  highly  honored.  My, 
but  the  others  will  be  envious  of  me,"  said  Foley. 

When  the  time  for  supper  came,  Foley  sought 
the  teacher.  They  entered  the  dining  room  and 
were  the  "observed  of  all  observers."  Occupying 
a  seat  opposite  to  them  was  Mr.  Davis.  He  said: 

"Foley,  you  stole  a  march  on  us ;  some  of  us  feel 
piqued." 

"Yes,  I  feel  somewhat  like  a  celebrated  race- 
horse, a  little  slow  on  the  start,  but  I  get  there  on 
the  home  stretch,"  was  the  rejoinder. 

"This  being  leap  year  I  exercised  the  preroga- 
tive of  my  sex,  I  proposed  to  Mr.  Foley."  Before 
the  lady  could  complete  the  sentence  several  ex- 
claimed : 

"Allow  us  to  congratulate  you,  Mr.  Foley;  you 
must  be  a  happy  man." 

"I  proposed  to  Mr.  Foley  to  be  my  partner  for 
supper.  I  will  do  him  the  credit  to  say  he  blushed 
and  said,  'Oh,  this  is  so  sudden/  just  as  if  I  had 
proposed  in  good  faith." 

"Miss  Wilton,  you  have  only  to  say  the  word, 
when  you  can  put  your  clothes  in  my  trunk,  and 
change  your  name,"  retorted  Mr.  Foley.  This  kind 
of  badinage  and  repartee  was  the  order  of  the  even- 
ing. 

88 


"Ladies  and  gentlemen,  I  need  not  remind  you 
of  the  danger  from  which  we  have  so  happily 
emerged.  There  is  one  deed  of  valor  stands  pre- 
eminent, which  I  will  recount.  When  Danny 
O'Brien  was  stricken,  his  mother  was  alone,  badly 
in  need  of  some  one  to  help  nurse.  The  physician 
tried  to  induce  different  people  to  assist  the  mother, 
but  in  vain.  He  was  in  despair  when  Miss  Wilton, 
our  teacher,  volunteered  her  services.  I  have  no 
words  of  censure  for  those  who  refused  to  go;  self- 
preservation  is  inherent  in  all  of  us.  But  think  of 
the  utter  disregard  for  danger,  the  abnegation  of 
this  lady,  a  comparative  stranger,  not  related  by 
any  ties  of  friendship,  generously  donating  her  skill 
and  time.  Mrs.  O'Brien  would  be  more  than  will- 
ing to  compensate  her,  but  she  refused  all  offers  of 
pay.  Such  conduct  is  heroic  and  noble.  It  reminds 
us  of  the  maxim,  'That  one  touch  of  nature  makes 
the  whole  world  akin/  I  have  here  a  poem  by 
Alice  Gary,  who  has  given  to  the  public  so  many 
beautiful  verses.  The  title  is  'Nobility:' 

"  'True  worth  is  a  being,  not  seeming, 
In  doing  each  day  that  goes  by, 
Some  little  good;  not  in  dreaming 
Of  great  things  to  do  by  and  by. 

For  whatever  men  say  in  blindness, 
And  in  spite  of  the  fancies  of  youth, 
There's  nothing  so  kingly  as  kindness, 
And  nothing  so  royal  as  truth. 

89 


We  get  back  our  mete  as  we  measure, 
We  cannot  do  wrong  and  feel  right. 
Nor  can  we  give  pain  and  feel  pleasure, 
For  justice  avenges  each  slight. 

The  air  for  the  wing  of  the  sparrow, 
The  bush  for  the  robin  and  wren, 
But  always  the  path  that  is  narrow 
And  straight  for  the  children  of  men. 

We  cannot  make  bargains  for  blisses, 
Nor  catch  them  like  fishes  in  nets ; 
And  sometimes  the  thing  our  life  misses, 
Helps  more  than  the  thing  that  it  gets. 

For  good  lieth  not  in  pursuing, 
Nor  gaining  of  great  nor  of  small ; 
But  just  in  the  doing,  and  doing 
As  we  would  be  done  by,  is  all. 

Through  envy,  through  malice,  through  hating, 
Against  the  world  early  and  late, 
No  jot  of  our  courage  abating, — 
Our  part  is  to  work  and  to  wait. 

And  slight  is  the  sting  of  his  trouble 
Whose  winnings  are  less  than  his  worth ; 
For  he  who  is  honest  is  noble, 
Whatever  his  fortune  or  birth/ 

"This  expresses  my  sentiments  of  Miss  Wilton/' 
said  Mr.  Davis.     The  teacher  arose: 

90 


"Ladies  and  gentlemen,  I  was  reared  a  Christian 
and  endeavor  to  practice  the  teachings  of  the  Bible 
so  far  as  I  comprehend  them.  In  the  small  part 
I  rendered  as  nurse,  there  was  some  slight  risk,  but 
people  endanger  their  lives  every  day.  Mr.  Foley 
is  deserving  of  a  tribute  of  praise.  He  rendered 
aid  at  the  most  critical  period  when  Danny  was 
delirious  and  endeavored  to  escape  from  the  bed. 
We  were  unable  to  cope  with  him.  Mr.  Foley  had 
the  foresight  to  be  near  and  saved  the  boy's  life,  for 
had  he  succeeded  in  getting  away  the  result  would 
have  been  fatal." 

"A  speech,  Mr.  Foley."  This  worthy  responded : 
"Ladies  and  gentlemen,  the  human  family  likes 
to  be  flattered,  and  I  am  no  exception  to  the  rule. 
It  tickles  my  vanity  to  hear  this  encomium  from 
such  beautiful  lips,  but  there  is  an  affliction  known 
as  the  swell  head  that  I  might  fall  a  victim  to.  I 
have  observed  its  workings  on  others.  They  are 
egotistical,  conceited,  important  and  in  love  with 
themselves.  It  is  always  big  I  and  little  you  with 
them.  They  believe  the  earth  would  not  revolve 
on  its  axis  without  them.  They  think  they  are 
perfection,  just  it.  I  knew  a  young  man  who  had 
this  self-esteem  in  its  worst  form.  His  father,  a 
sensible  man,  noticed  it.  One  day  he  took  him  to 
task.  He  said,  'My  son,  you  have  got  it  bad.  I 
have  heard  you  dispute  and  contradict  men  of  ex- 
perience and  learning.  You  must  quit  that  and 
have  a  decent  respect  for  the  opinion  of  others. 
You  think  you  know  it  all,  but  you  ought  to  go  to 

91 


the  creek  and  soak  your  head  awhile/  This  talk 
had  its  effect;  in  the  vernacular  of  the  present,  the 
young  man  'took  a  tumble/ 

"I  will  tell  you  a  story.  We  have  satiated  our 
appetite,  and  enjoyed  the  repast.  Apropos  of  eat- 
ing, I  attended  a  ball  and  supper,  once  on  a  time, 
and  wrote  describing  my  prowess  as  gourmand: 

"I  took  a  seat  at  the  table 
And  eagerly  did  scan 
The  good  things  there  provided, 
To  tempt  the  appetite  of  man. 

I  reached  both  right  and  left, 
I  took  from  far  and  near, 
The  way  those  victuals  vanished, 
You  ought  to  see  them  disappear. 

The  landlord  approached  me, 
And  thusly  did  he  spake, 
Whilst  my  jaws  worked  overtime 
Upon  the  pie  and  cake : 

'Young  man,  you're  a  fine  feeder, 
The  best  I  ever  saw. 
I'll  give  back  the  price  of  your  ticket, 
If  from  that  table  you'll  withdraw. 

'Say,  I  have  just  been  married, 
I  am  starting  out  in  life, 
If  you  keep  working  of  your  jaws, 
You  will  bankrupt  me  and  wife/ 

92 


I  accepted  of  his  offer, 
And  rose  for  to  depart, 
The  boss  breathed  more  easily, 
A  load  was  off  his  heart." 

This  little  doggerel  created  a  laugh. 

"I  invented  the  first  hotel  to  run  on  wheels.  When 
the  first  transcontinental  railroad  was  being  built  it 
was  no  small  piece  of  work  to  feed  the  men  who  work- 
ed ahead,  and  the  boarding  house  had  to  be  moved 
every  week.  To  keep  pace  in  this  way  considerable 
time  was  lost.  The  contractor  was  a  personal 
friend  of  mine.  His  trials  and  tribulations  he  used 
to  confide  in  me.  One  evening  he  said :  'This  mov- 
ing is  a  source  of  annoyance  to  me;  can  you  think 
of  a  plan  that  would  improve  it?'  I  was  working 
with  a  crew  of  carpenters.  I  called  into  action  the 
gray  matter  in  my  cranium,  and  evolved  a  contriv- 
ance. 'Yes/  I  answered,  'give  me  four  freight  cars, 
place  six  carpenters  at  my  disposal  and  I  can  make 
a  traveling  boarding  house.' 

"The  cars,  men  and  material  were  furnished.  In 
a  week's  work  I  had  those  cars  divided  off  into  sec- 
tions, arranged  with  reservoirs,  tanks  and  recepta- 
cles for  food.  I  had  the  roof  taken  off  the  cars,  so 
they  were  open  on  top.  The  first  section  contained 
a  tank,  calculated  to  hold  one  hundred  gallons  of 
soup.  The  second  department  was  a  box  capable 
of  holding  one  thousand  pounds  of  potatoes ;  the 
third  section  was  for  meat,  and  would  accommo- 
date a  whole  steer ;  the  next  apartment  was  for  vege- 

93 


tables,  into  which  could  be  stowed  the  product  of 
a  small  sized  garden.  Then  there  was  a  place  for 
coffee  of  50  gallons  capacity;  another  one  of  the 
same  size  for  tea;  there  was  a  division  to  hold  200 
pies;  another  one  to  hold  a  quarter  section  of  pud- 
ding. This  was  labeled  the  dinner  car.  The  sec- 
ond car  was  divided  off  similar  to  the  dinner  car, 
with  the  soup  portion  omitted.  It  had  a  chute 
made  on  a  grade  of  45  degrees.  The  bottom  was 
lined  with  galvanized  iron.  This  chute  had  an  in- 
let into  a  reservoir  to  hold  mush.  This  was  tagged 
Breakfast  Car.  The  third  car  was  a  duplicate  of 
the  breakfast  car,  without  any  chute:  It  was 
painted  on  the  side  in  big  letters,  Supper  Car.  The 
fourth  car  was  rigged  to  hold  dishes,  knives,,  forks 
and  spoons.  In  one  end  of  this  car  was  placed  a 
large  range  for  heating.  From  this  range  pipes 
were  led  to  each  section,  containing  hot  air,  to  keep 
the  food  warm.  This  was  named  the  Eureka  Car. 
I  constructed  an  automatic  attachment  to  each  sec- 
tion, tank  and  reservoir,  which  was  worked  by  but- 
tons from  the  outside.  I  had  moved  a  large  der- 
rick, so  that  the  tanks,  boxes  and  reservoirs  (they 
were  made  portable)  could  be  hoisted  and  lowered, 
at  the  door  of  the  cook  house.  When  it  was  break- 
fast time,  the  car  bearing  that  name  and  the  car 
Eureka  were  coupled  to  an  engine  and  drawn  along- 
side the  food  prepared;  20  men  took  hold,  and 
filled  the  empty  receptacles  in  short  order.  When 
ready  the  derrick  was  again  brought  into  use,  the 
instruments  were  put  in  their  respective  places,  and 

94 


the  cars  hauled  to  where  the  men  were  at  work. 
One  man  to  tend  the  range,  and  see  everything 
worked  right  was  all  that  was  required.  When  it 
was  time  to  masticate,  every  man  sought  the  car 
Eureka,  pressed  a  button,  when  out  slid  a  plate, 
knife  and  fork;  he  pressed  another  button,  when 
out  came  a  cup,  saucer  and  spoon.  He  then  step- 
ped to  the  breakfast  car.  If  he  wished  mush  he 
pressed  a  button,  down  the  chute  rushed  a  supply. 
The  way  mush  slipped  down  that  chute  would  have 
done  credit  to  a  toboggan  slide.  When  each  man 
had  a  sufficiency  of  any  commodity  he  let  go  the 
button ;  instantly  the  supply  shut  off.  On  the  out- 
side, over  each  division  was  painted  the  name  of 
the  article  it  contained.  All  a  man  had  to  do  was 
glance  at  the  sign,  see  what  he  desired,  press  a  but- 
ton, the  machine  did  the  rest.  I  went  out  with  the 
£rst  cars,  and  instructed  the  men  in  the  workings 
of  the  machinery.  The  boss  proclaimed  it  the 
greatest  labor  and  time-saving  invention  of  the  age. 
He  paid  me  a  royalty  of  one  dollar  for  each  man. 
As  there  were  five  hundred  men  working  I  had  a 
neat  income  every  month.  The  cars  were  given  the 
appellation  'Foley's  traveling  caravansary/  In  those 
days  Sacramento  was  the  nucleus  and  distributing 
center  for  a  vast  quantity  of  freight ;  all  traffic  was 
by  steamers.  The  State  Capitol  was  in  its  pristine 
glory  and  booming.  A  merchant  with  whom  I  was 
acquainted  came  to  me  and  said,  'Mr.  Foley,  I  have 
several  steamers  loaded  with  merchandise,  due  here 
in  the  next  few  days.  I  need  twelve  thousand  dol- 

95 


lars  in  coin  of  the  realm  to  discharge  my  obliga- 
tions; can  you  accommodate  -me?'  I  said,  'Certain- 
ly/ I  just  ran  my  hand  into  rny  vest  pocket, 
pulled  out  that  amount  and  gave  it  to  him." 

"Was  it  all  in  silver?"  asked  an  auditor. 

"My  friend,  that  question  reminds  me.  A  col- 
ored preacher  was  delivering  a  sermon  on  the  crea- 
tion of  man;  he  said  God  made  the  first  man  out 
of  clay  and  water,  then  placed  him  up  against  a 
fence  to  dry.  A  member  of  the  congregation  asked, 
'Parson,  who  made  dat  ar  fence?'  Tut  dat  darky 
out ;  sich  questions  as  dat  spile  all  de  teology  in  the 
Bible/  Thanking  you  for  your  courteous  attention,  I 
subside,"  said  Foley.  He  was  given  liberal  ap- 
plause. 

All  now  repaired  to  the  ball  room,  where  dancing 
was  indulged  in  till  the  wee  small  hours.  The 
ball  and  supper  was  voted  an  immense  success. 


96 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

DANNY  CHANGES  His  ATTITUDE  TOWARDS 
THE  TEACHER,  AND  IN  CONSEQUENCE  is 
HARASSED  BY  TOM  CRANE. 
A  BLOODY  FIGHT,  IN  WHICH  DANNY 
Is  VICTORIOUS. 

DANNY  O'BRIEN  was  able  to  attend  school ; 
he  was  a  changed  youth.  His  mother  had  told 
him  all  that  transpired  whilst  he  was  ill ; 
how  devoted  the  teacher  had  been,  and  but  for  the 
careful  nursing  he  would  have  died;  his  nearness 
to  death,  made  a  deep  impression  on  his  mind.  He 
was  more  sedate  and  manly.  The  lady's  slightest 
wish  was  law  to  him.  By  language  and  actions  he 
endeavored  to  show  gratitude  and  appreciation  for 
her  past  goodness. 

His  deference  and  solicitude  for  her  welfare  be- 
came so  apparent  that  the  older  boys  began  to  joke 
and  guy  him.  He  stood  their  jests  good  naturedly, 
replying,  "She  saved  my  life,  I  cannot  do  enough  to 
repay  her." 

Tommy  Crane  was  relentless  in  trying  to  harass 
Danny.  One  day  he  seemed  more  anxious  to  pro- 
voke him.  He  made  a  slighting  remark,  which 
roused  Danny's  anger. 

97 


"Look  here,  Tommy,  I  have  stood  your  reproach- 
es long  enough.  I  do  not  care  to  quarrel,  but  cease 
your  slurs  right  now." 

A  retort  from  Tommy,  inaudible  to  all  save 
Danny,  precipitated  a  fight.  Danny's  right  arm 
shot  out,  and  landed  on  Tommy's  nose.  He  re- 
taliated and  the  fight  was  on.  A  scream  from  the 
other  children  brought  the  teacher  on  the  scene. 
Calling  both  by  name,  she  commanded  them  to 
quit  fighting. 

"What  do  you  mean  by  such  behavior  on  the 
playground?  I  am  ashamed  of  you  both,"  They 
desisted. 

"If  you  please,  Miss  Wilton,  he  insulted  me ;  he 
called  me  a  vile  name,  such  as  I  will  not  allow  from 
anybody,"  said  Danny. 

"You  can  have  it  out  whenever  you  wish,"  said 
Tommy. 

"Very  well,  we  will  arrange  it  after  school." 

She  lectured  them  on  the  impropriety  of  quarrel- 
ing, and  tried  to  exact  a  promise  from  them  not  to 
renew  the  combat.  In  this  she  failed.  All  they 
would  agrfce  to  was  not  to  fight  on  the  school 
grounds.  At  4  o'clock  school  was  dismissed.  The 
teacher  requested  Danny  to  remain.  When  alone, 
she  asked  Danny  the  cause  of  the  quarrel. 

"Ever  since  my  return  to  school  he  has  joked 
and  twitted  me  on  my  changed  demeanor;  with 
good  humor  I  bore  it  as  long  as  his  remarks  were 
not  offensive.  Today  he  applied  discourteous 

98 


language.  When  I  told  him  to  stop  he  followed  it 
up  with  another  more  aggravating  than  the  first. 
Then  I  struck  him/' 

"What  were  those  remarks  you  took  exception 
to?" 

"Miss  Wilton,  you  are  a  lady,  and  I  would  not 
repeat  them  in  your  presence." 

"Danny,  promise  me  not  to  be  the  aggressor  in 
another  battle.  Do  you  know  it  is  disgraceful  to 
fight?" 

"Not  when  you  are  insulted  and  your  honor  at- 
tacked. Miss  Wilton,  I  will  do  anything  within 
bounds  of  reason  for  you.  I  would  be  an  ungrate- 
ful knave  if  I  would  not.  I  beg  of  you  not  to  seek 
to  bind  me  by  a  promise  not  to  fight.  If  I  refuse  I 
will  be  branded  a  coward.  I  will  whip  him  if  I  am 
able,  and  make  him  apologize  to  the  school  and 
myself  for  his  vile  language." 

She  knew  he  was  sincere  in  what  he  said,  for 
tears  were  in  his  eyes. 

"I  will  not  urge  you  any  further,  if  you  consider 
the  provocation  justifies  wiping  out  the  insult." 

They  left  the  school  house  and  walked  down  the 
road.  The  teacher  and  Danny  parted  at  the  upper 
end  of  town,  where  she  resided.  He  continued  on. 
Half  way  through  town  he  was  met  by  Tommy 
Crane,  with  a  crowd  of  boys  and  men.  Tommy  had 
informed  a  number  that  he  would  compel  Danny 
to  fight  whenever  they  met. 

"Danny  O'Brien,  let  us  finish  that  scrap." 

99 


"All  right,  let  us  go  to  that  vacant  lot  back  of 
the  barn." 

Calling  Willie  Cole,  Danny  sent  him  to  tell  his 
mother  he  would  be  detained  at  school  later  than 
usual,  but  cautioned  him  not  to  say  a  word  about 
any  fight.  Some  forty  men  and  boys  had  collected 
to  witness  the  combat.  Turning  to  the  men  Danny 
said: 

"Gentlemen,  on  my  part  this  is  a  contest  for  prin- 
ciple. Lately  Tommy  Crane  has  been  imposing 
on  me.  Today  he  used  insulting  language  to  me. 
If  I  am  the  victor  he  must  retract  those  words.  I 
understand  it  is  to  be  a  fight  to  a  finish.  All  I  ask 
is  a  fair  show  and  no  interference,  until  one  of  us 
cries  enough." 

"Are  you  going  to  be  governed  by  any  rules? 
What  style  do  you  intend  to  follow?"  inquired  a  by- 
stander. 

"I  prefer  a  bout  under  Marquis  of  Queensbury 
rules,"  said  Danny. 

"I  will  not  agree  to  that  way.  I  want  a  rough 
and  tumble  scrap,"  said  Tommy. 

"As  you  like,"  said  Danny.  They  stripped  down 
to  their  undershirts. 

Mr.  Crane  had  joined  the  throng  and  said:  "My 
son,  I  will  see  you  have  a  fair  show." 

Mr.  Foley  stepped  forward  and  said,  "Danny,  I 
will  see  you  have  a  square  deal." 

Both  had  friends  and  sympathizers.  Signifying 
they  were  ready,  the  battle  commenced.  Blows 
straight  to  the  face  were  exchanged.  Blood  was 

100 


soon  flowing ;  it  was  give  and  take ;  not  a  word  was 
spoken  by  either.  Danny  now  changed  his  tactics 
and  directed  his  blows  to  the  body  of  his  opponent. 
Tommy  did  not  relish  this  and  rushed  to  a  clinch. 
Their  arms  locked  in  an  embrace,  back  and  forth 
they  wrestled,  struggling  to  throw  each  other.  By 
a  trip  Tommy  succeeded  in  throwing  Danny  to  the 
ground  and  landed  on  top. 

''Will  you  give  up,  I  have  you  now." 

"Never,"  came  from  Danny. 

"Then  I  will  make  you,"  said  Tommy. 

"Give  it  to  him,  son,"  said  Mr.  Crane.  Tommy, 
encouraged  by  his  advantage  and  the  words  from 
his  father,  delivered  blow  after  blow  on  his  ad- 
versary's head,  who  endeavored  to  smother  the  force 
as  best  he  could.  All  the  time  he  was  doing  some 
rapid  thinking,  and  formed  a  plan  of  action.  Pres- 
ently Tommy's  blows  lost  much  of  their  power  and 
speed.  This  was  the  opportunity  Danny  relied  on. 
By  a  mighty  effort  he  contrived  to  turn  Tommy 
underneath. 

"I  guess  it's  my  chance  now."  For  every  blow 
received  he  gave  it  back  with  interest.  Mr.  Crane 
became  uneasy  and  said  to  the  spectators,  "We  had 
better  separate  them ;  call  it  a  draw,  as  honors  are 
even." 

"No,  you  will  not,"  said  Mr.  Foley;  "they  agreed 
to  fight  until  one  cried  enough.  When  your  son 
had  the  best  of  it  you  cheered  him  on,  never  said 
a  word  about  parting  them.  Now  that  the  tide  has 
turned  you  want  to  call  it  off.  Fair  play  is  fine 

101 


play ;  the  first  man  that  interferes  will  have  to  mix 
with  me.  Put  in  your  best  licks,  make  your  gain 
count,  Danny/' 

The  advice  was  superfluous,  for  he  fought  as  he 
had  never  done  before.  After  enduring  the  on- 
slaught for  quite  a  while,  human  nature  could 
stand  it  no  longer.  Tommy  spoke : 

"I  have  enough.    I  take  back  the  abusive  words/' 

Danny  released  him,  and  struggled  to  his  feet.  For 
a  second  he  wavered  to  maintain  an  erect  position, 
staggered,  and  would  have  fallen,  but  Foley  caught 
him ;  he  had  fainted.  Tommy  lay  on  the  ground, 
unable  to  rise.  A  glass  of  brandy  was  brought ;  a 
small  quantity  poured  down  their  throats,  which 
soon  revived  the  boys.  A  bucket  of  water  and 
towels  were  procured.  The  blood  was  washed  from 
their  faces  and  hands.  Their  features  were  dis- 
figured ;  their  eyes  were  nearly  closed,  noses  swol- 
len, and  several  cuts  and  bruises  covered  their  vis- 
age. 

It  was  a  great  battle.  Both  boys  were  full  of 
courage ;  they  were  as  nearly  matched  in  build  and 
weight  as  could  be  possible.  Those  who  witnessed 
it  used  to  regale  listeners  with  the  details  for  a 
long  time.  The  boys  soon  regained  their  energy 
and  were  able  to  proceed  to  their  homes. 

Foley  accompanied  Danny  to  his  house.  Mrs. 
O'Brien  met  them,  exclaiming: 

"Good  Heavens,  my  son,  have  you  met  with  an 
accident?" 

102 


Foley  hastily  gave  a  summary  of  the  combat  and 
the  events  that  led  up  to  it. 

"You  should  be  proud  of  your  boy.  He  upheld 
the  honor  and  dignity  of  the  school.  He  is  a  brave 
youth/' 

"I  would  have  been  tricked  out  of  a  victory  but 
for  the  help  of  Mr.  Foley.  When  Tommy  was  get- 
ting the  worst  of  it,  his  father  wanted  to  pull  me 
away." 

Healing  remedies  were  applied  to  the  sores. 

"You  will  be  as  good  as  new  in  a  day  or  so,"  said 
Foley. 

News  of  the  fight  became  general  and  was  the 
subject  of  comment.  The  consensus  of  opinion  was 
that  Danny  was  right.  The  intelligence  was  con- 
veyed to  Miss  Wilton.  Publicly,  she  was  non-com- 
mittal; privately,  she  exulted  in  Danny's  triumph, 
realizing  that  if  Tommy  was  the  winner,  the  exist- 
ence of  the  school  was  in  jeopardy,  for  he  would 
have  domineered  over  the  other  boys,  and  pursued 
a  policy  of  mischief. 

The  day  following,  both  boys  were  absent  from 
school.  In  the  evening  the  teacher  paid  a  visit  to 
Mrs.  O'Brien. 

"My  son  is  not  in  prime  condition  to  receive 
company,  but  we  are  pleased  to  see  you  just  the 
same." 

"Danny,  you  are  not  as  good  looking  as  before 
the  fracas,  but  I  regard  you  most  highly  for  the 
principle  you  upheld  and  the  valor  you  displayed. 

103 


It  would  not  be  proper  for  me  to  express  myself 
publicly;  this  opinion  is  confidential/'  said  the 
teacher. 

"Tommy  carried  his  jokes  to  an  extreme ;  patience 
ceased  to  be  a  virtue.  He  would  have  had  to  beat 
me  into  insensibility ;  I  would  have  died  rather  than 
yield  to  him.  I  was  confident  I  would  whip  him.  I 
felt  right  and  justice  was  on  my  side.  When  I  look 
better  I  will  go  to  school/'  said  Danny. 

From  there  the  teacher  called  on  Mrs.  Crane, 
That  lady  informed  her  that  Tommy  asked  to  be. 
excused ;  he  was  not  presentable.  Both  ladies  de- 
plored the  incident. 

In  an  interval  of  three  days  both  boys  appeared 
at  school.  In  the  meantime  they  had  met,  agreed 
to  let  by-gones  be  by-gones,  shook  hands  and  de- 
clared friendship.  The  two  held  a  conference  with 
the  teacher. 

"Miss  Wilton,  you  know  the  result  of  our  late  un- 
pleasantness. According  to  the  compact  there  is  an 
apology  due  from  me  to  the  school.  I  do  not  feel 
able  to  deliver  an  oral  one.  I  know  I  should  break 
down.  Will  it  suffice  if  I  indite  one  and  read  it?" 
asked  Tommy. 

"Yes,  I  will  make  it  easier  than  you  propose. 
You  express  your  regrets  to  me.  I  will  say  to  the 
pupils,  you  have  apologized  in  a  satisfactory  man- 
ner, and  that  the  subject  be  dropped." 

Tommy  was  elated ;  he  appreciated  being  let  down 
easy,  and  expressed  gratitude  to  the  teacher.  So 
it  was  arranged. 

104 


At  recess  time  she  requested  the  scholars  to  re- 
main, with  the  exception  of  both  boys.  She  told 
them  that  Tommy  had  tendered  a  manly  retraction, 
and  instructed  them  that  no  reference  be  made  to 
the  difficulty  in  his  presence,  under  penalty.  They 
were  then  allowed  to  play.  The  teacher  had  no 
desire  to  humiliate  Tommy,  as  he  had  exhibited  the 
right  sort  of  spirit. 

From  now  on  the  advancement  of  the  school  was 
a  foregone  conclusion.  The  older  boys  were 
tractable  and  observed  proper  decorum.  The  bread 
cast  upon  the  waters  in  the  small  pox  emergency 
was  bearing  fruit. 


105 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Miss  WILTON  RELATES  ANOTHER  CHAPTER 
OUT  OF  HER  LIFE. 

ONE  evening  the  teacher  remarked :  "  Mrs. 
Fremont,  I  will  recite  the  succeeding  part  of 
my  tribulation,  if  you  are  in  a  mood  to  listen." 

"I  am  all  attention/7  answered  that  lady. 

"I  was  expecting  Frank,  my  betrothed.  I  knew 
he  would  no  longer  delay  coming.  I  would  soon 
know  the  truth  or  falsity  of  the  reports.  My  uncle 
had  heard  I  was  on  the  ragged  edge  of  expectation ; 
hoping  for  the  best,  yet  at  spells,  fearing  the  worst ; 
my  nervous  system  strung  to  the  highest  tension. 
I  heard  the  gate  open  and  shut.  Intuitively  I  knew 
it  was  Frank.  I  hastened  down  the  walk  to  meet 
him.  Many  a  time  I  had  watched  him  from  a  con- 
venient window.  His  pose  I  had  indelibly  printed 
on  my  memory.  His  erect  graceful  carriage;  his 
light  elastic  step,  even  the  swinging  of  his  arms; 
.all  these  I  had  noticed.  As  I  drew  near  to  him,  I 
could  not  fail  to  be  impressed  with  his  changed  de- 
meanor. He  walked  slowly,  his  head  bent  as 
thovgh  meditating;  his  arms  hung  listlessly  at  his 
side.  We  were  about  to  collide  when  I  spoke : 

"Fn»nk,  I  am  so  glad  you  have  come ;  I  am  almost 
frantic  with  suspense." 

106 


"I  looked  into  his  face ;  I  saw  how  jaded  he  seemed. 
He  had  aged  ten  years  in  three  days.  He  was 
dressed  with  the  same  scrupulous  care  and  neatness, 
which  always  characterized  his  apparel.  I  had  no 
need  to  question  him ;  his  attitude  told  me  more  than 
words  could  express.  The  missing  money  could  not 
be  found.  He  spoke  : 

"May,  darling,  my  promised  wife,  will  you  allow 
me  to  call  you  by  these  endearing  names  still  ?" 

"Yes,  Frank,  you  are  the  same  to  me  as  before ; 
nothing  that  can  be  said  or  done  will  ever  change 
my  opinion  of  you.  I  believe  you  innocent,  though 
the  whole  world  proclaim  otherwise.  My  faith  in 
you  will  endure  forever." 

'  'May,  those  are  the  most  comforting,  re-assuring 
words  I  have  had  spoken  to  me.  Heaven  bless  you 
for  your  confidence.  I  am  as  utterly  devoid  of  any 
wrong-doing  with  that  money  as  you  are,  who  never 
laid  eyes  on  it.  Let  us  enter  the  parlor,  be  seated, 
and  I  will  tell  you  everything  that  has  transpired 
since  my  last  visit. 

"Wednesday  afternoon  the  bank  had  closed  for 
business.  I  was  nearly  ready  to  leave  the  building, 
when  in  rushed  Mr.  Bailey  and  exclaimed: 

"  'Frank,  put  this  away  for  me.  I  am  going  over 
to  the  City  to  spend  the  evening  and  have  a  time. 
There  is  just  Forty  Thousand  Dollars  in  currency; 
I  will  call  for  it  tomorrow/ 

"I  answered,  'George,  it  is  after  business  hours, 
the  safe  and  vault  are  closed  for  today ;  they  have  a 

107 


combination  time  lock  and  cannot  be  opened  until 
tomorrow  morning/ 

"He  said :  '  Put  it  in  one  of  the  desks  or  drawers. 
You  have  a  night-watchman,  so  there  is  no  danger 
of  a  hold-up.  I  dislike  to  travel  with  so  much  of  the 
Long  Green  about  me ;  you  will  be  doing  me  a 
favor  to  take  care  of  it.' 

"I  yielded,  counted  the  money  and  placed  it  in 
the  drawer.  There  is  where  I  made  a  mistake.  I 
should  have  said :  'No,  George,  I  cannot  accept  the 
responsibility  for  such  a  large  sum ;  it  is  not  busi- 
ness ;  the  bank  is  closed/  This  is  what  my  better 
judgment  prompted  me  to  say  and  do,  but  I  had 
known  George  Bailey  for  years.  He  was  a  per- 
sonal friend,  so  to  accommodate  him  I  broke  one 
of  the  bank's  rules.  Now  I  am  paying  for  my  im- 
prudence. There  was  one  person  in  the  bank  be- 
sides Mr.  Bailey  and  myself,  who  saw  and  heard 
what  took  place.  This  was  James  Stone,  son  of 
the  president.  I  have  reasons  to  believe  that  he 
cherishes  an  intense  hatred  for  me.  As  you  know, 
he  was  a  suitor  for  your  hand.  He  proposed  and 
was  rejected.  When  he  learned  I  was  the  lucky 
man,  your  accepted  lover,  he  conceived  a  dislike  for 
me.  He  has  held  the  position  of  clerk  ever  since 
my  connection  with  the  bank.  There  have  been 
several  chances  for  promotion,  but  the  president 
has  never  advanced  his  son.  This  has  been  a  sub- 
ject for  comment  among  business  men.  Friends 
have  told  me  James  was  of  a  sporty  inclination  and 
given  to  dissipation.  His  father  knows  this  and,  un- 

108 


til  he  manifests  a  disposition  to  reform,  his  father 
will  not  assist  him.  He  holds  a  subordinate  situa- 
tion and  is  subject  to  my  orders.  He  commits  cleri- 
cal errors,  which  I  am  obliged  to  call  his  attention 
to  and  have  him  rectify.  He  resents  my  interfer- 
ence. He  is  really  impertinent  at  times.  I  have 
never  complained  of  him  to  the  president,  but  have 
treated  him  affably.  He  would  not  do  me  an  injury 
where  there  was  a  chance  for  detection,  but  in  a 
subtle  way  he  would  blast  my  reputation.  The  op- 
portunity came,  and  he  embraced  it  when  that 
money  was  placed  in  the  drawer.  The  drawer  has 
a  simple  lock.  He  knew  how  easy  it  would  be  to 
extract  the  amount.  He  knows  the  whereabouts  of 
that  $40,000;  I  believe  he  purloined  it. 

"These  are  my  suspicions.  I  have  not  one  particle 
of  proof  to  base  these  assertions  on;  I  dare  not 
breathe  them  to  a  soul  but  you,  May.  I  saw  James 
leave  the  building  before  I  did.  I  went  to  my  apart- 
ments. I  regretted  my  action.  I  vowed  if  all  was 
well  in  the  morning,  I  would  never  again  receive 
money  after  office  hours.  I  had  a  premonition  of 
impending  evil.  I  retired  early  and  endeavored  to 
sleep,  but  my  rest  was  broken.  I  arose,  partook  of  • 
breakfast  and  went  to  the  bank  twenty  minutes 
earlier  than  usual.  I  went  straight  to  the  drawer. 
The  $40,000  package  was  gone.  It  did  not  produce 
such  a  great  shock,  for  somehow  I  feared  it.  I 
turned  over  the  situation  in  my  mind,  went  to  the 
telephone  and  called  up  the  president.  I  told  him 
to  come  to  the  bank  immediately  as  something  ex- 

109 


traordinary  had  happened.  He  replied:  'I  will  be 
down  in  fifteen  minutes/ 

"He  came,  went  to  his  office.  I  followed  and 
locked  the  door  to  prevent  being  disturbed.  I  made 
a  clean  breast  of  the  affair;  I  concealed  nothing;  I 
admitted  my  culpability  in  receiving  the  money 
after  the  bank  was  closed.  When  I  had  finished, 
he  said: 

"  'Frank,  I  will  not  upbraid  you ;  it  is  unfortunate ; 
when  the  news  leaks  out  it  will  impair  our  standing 
and  precipitate  a  run  on  the  bank.  However,  we 
are  abundantly  supplied  with  funds  to  withstand 
any  attempt  of  this  kind.  I  will  call  a  meeting  of 
the  directors  and  lay  the  matter  before  them/ 

"I  went  back  to  my  duties,  outwardly  as  calm 
as  ever,  inwardly  racked  with  torture.  It  was  2 
p.  m.  before  they  all  appeared  and  went  to  the  office 
of  the  president.  James  Stone,  the  night-watch- 
man and  the  janitor  were  sent  for  in  succession. 
My  turn  came  last.  I  was  ushered  into  the  presence 
of  the  seven  directors,  and  asked  to  tell  of  the  miss- 
ing money.  I  repeated  it  exactly  as  I  had  to  the 
president.  When  I  concluded,  Mr.  Payot,  acting 
as  spokesman,  said : 

"  'Mr.  Howard,  you  understand  this  sum  of  $40,- 
ooo  must  be  repaid  to  Mr.  Bailey.  If  you  are  un- 
able to  do  so,  then  the  bank  must  make  good.  Have 
you  this  amount,  or  will  your  friends  come  to  your 
rescue  and  help  you  out  of  this  difficulty?  The 
whole  matter  can  be  hushed,  if  it  can  be  adjusted 
this  way,  and  things  proceed  as  before/ 

110 


"  'Mr.  Payot,  I  have  no  such  a  large  sum,  and  I 
will  not  permit  my  friends  to  make  such  a  sacrifice 
to  save  me,  if  they  are  willing.' 

"He  gazed  at  me  astonished.  Said  he  :  'Well,  you 
are  not  willing  to  let  your  friends  pay  the  amount 
and  save  your  reputation,  but  you  are  willing  to  let 
the  bank  stand  the  loss.  Remarkable,  sir,  remark- 
able conduct.' 

"  'Mr.  Payot,  my  friends  are  not  wealthy.  Should 
I  borrow  $40,000  it  would  impoverish  them.  I  value 
my  reputation  as  highly  as  you,  or  any  man,  does. 
When  I  found  that  money  gone,  had  I  that  amount, 
I  would  have  replaced  it,  and  no  one  would  have 
been  the  wiser.  For  the  reasons  I  have  given,  to 
bankrupt  my  friends  is  out  of  the  question.  I  make 
you  this  proposition:  All  the  money  I  possess  is 
Five  Thousand  Dollars.  I  will  turn  this  over  to  you. 
My  salary  is  $250  per  month;  I  will  pay  $150  each 
month  on  account.  To  do  this  I  will  have  to  econ- 
omize in  my  mode  of  living  and  dress.  I  will  con- 
tinue in  your  employ  as  long  as  I  have  life  and 
strength,  aye,  until  I  am  old  and  gray  haired,  so 
that  every  dollar,  both  principal  and  interest,  shall 
be  paid.  This  is  the  only  offer  I  can  make/ 

"Mr.  Payot  said :  'We  will  deliberate  and  let  you 
know  our  decision  later/  I  bowed  myself  out  and 
returned  to  my  desk.  I  heard  a  voice,  'Hello, 
Frank/  I  looked  to  see  Mr.  Bailey,  owner  of  the 
missing  sum  in  front. 

Ill 


"  'I  had  a  splendid  time  in  the  city.  Why,  what's 
up?  You  look  as  though  you  had  lost  your  only 
friend/ 

"Rapidly  I  told  him  of  what  had  taken  place. 

4  'I  am  awfully  sorry  to  be  the  cause  of  your 
trouble.  I  would  stand  the  loss  if  I  could  afford  it, 
but  I  must  have  the  money  by  tomorrow  to  settle 
outstanding  bills.' 

"I  told  him  the  directors  were  in  session ;  to  go 
and  see  them.  He  came  back.  He  said  they  had 
promised  to  pay  him  in  full. 

"The  directors  soon  after  adjourned.  President 
Stone  summoned  me  to  the  office. 

'  'Frank,  the  directors  have  instructed  me  to  say 
they  have  refused  your  offer  to  work  out  the 
amount.  You  must  reimburse  Mr.  Bailey  by  9 
o'clock  tomorrow  or  hand  in  your  resignation  as 
cashier.  This  is  their  ultimatum.' 

"In  consideration  of  my  long  and  faithful  service, 
I  had  hoped  they  would  condone  my  first  mistake 
and  give  me  time  to  pay  the  lost  money.  It  now 
dawned  upon  me  I  could  expect  no  clemency  from 
Mr.  Payot.  He  was  the  largest  stockholder  and 
dominant  spirit  in  the  board  of  directors.  It  was 
some  consolation  to  know  the  worst.  It  relieved 
my  mind  of  uncertainty.  The  issue  was  clean-cut 
and  defined.  Out  of  the  bank  I  must  go.  On  my 
way  home  that  evening  several  friends  enquired  if 
the  news  was  true,  that  the  bank  had  been  robbed. 
I  referred  them  to  the  directors  for  information. 

112 


"I  went  to  the  bank  next  morning,  intending  to 
comply  with  Mr.  Payot's  dictum.  I  noticed  a  mass 
of  people  outside  clamoring  for  their  money.  I 
decided  to  stay  until  the  run  had  passed.  I  went 
to  the  doors,  threw  them  open,  and  said  to  the 
crowd:  'Please  be  orderly,  line  up  and  you  will 
all  get  your  money/  I  called  all  the  clerks,  and  we 
began  counting  and  passing  out  money.  The  presi- 
dent lent  his  aid.  Till  2  o'clock  P.  M.  there  was  a 
file  of  men  and  women  coming  and  going.  After 
that  the  number  diminished  and  the  rush  was  over. 
By  closing  time  there  were  none  asking  for  coin.  I 
said: 

'  'This  has  been  a  strenuous  day,  President  Stone. 
I  place  in  your  hands  my  submission  to  the  powers 
that  be.  Our  pleasant  relations  must  terminate; 
with  reluctance  I  sever  my  relation  with  the  bank/ 

"He  said :  'Frank,  this  is  not  my  doing.  I  was 
disposed  to  be  lenient,  and  wished  the  directors  to 
accept  of  your  offer.  Mr.  Payot  was  inflexible.  I 
dissented  from  their  decision.  Tell  me,  Frank,  have 
you  no  theory  or  suspicion  as  to  who  took  that 
money?  I  will  place  detectives  on  the  track  to  run 
down  any  clue  you  may  give  me/ 

"  'Yes,  I  have  a  suspicion  and  a  theory,  but  it 
would  be  useless  to  charge  any  one  on  my  word 
alone;  I  have  no  corroborative  evidence.  All  cir- 
cumstances point  to  me  as  the  guilty  party  and  I 
suppose  it  will  remain  so/ 

"  'Frank,  I  am  loath  to  see  you  leave/ 

"We  shook  hands  and  parted.    May,  there  is  noth- 

113 


ing  more  to  tell.  What  further  steps  the  directors 
may  take  I  am  not  prepared  to  say ;  I  can  only  await 
developments." 

:'  'Frank,  you  are  not  a  transgressor.  I  see  nothing 
to  condemn.  Any  man  might  have  committed  the 
same  error  to  accommodate  a  friend.  The  directors 
are  too  severe.  Our  marriage  shall  take  place,  re- 
gardless of  what  has  happened/ 

"  'No,  May,  I  cannot  allow  you  to  link  yourself 
with  a  suspected  embezzler.  So  long  as  there  is  a 
taint  of  suspicion  attached  to  my  name  our  marriage 
must  be  postponed.  You  are  too  pure  and  noble  a 
lady  to  be  degraded.  Some  time  in  the  dim,  un- 
shadowy  future  the  guilty  party  will  be  revealed; 
it  may  be  sooner  than  I  expect,  and  it  may  be 
years  before  the  mystery  is  cleared,  and  the  wrong 
done  me  righted.  When  that  time  arrives,  when  I 
can  come  to  you  with  an  unsullied  character,  when 
my  honor  has  been  vindicated,  if  your  affection  has 
not  undergone  a  change,  I  will  come  to  you  and  say : 
'May,  let  our  nuptials  be  solemnized.' 

"We  conversed  earnestly.  I  endeavored  to  com- 
bat his  arguments  about  delaying  our  marriage.  'It 
is  to  show  the  public  my  entire  faith  in  your  in- 
nocence/ 'It  must  be  in  abeyance  for  the  present.  I 
shall  call  on  you  as  before.  It  is  late  and  I  must  go/ 
'Frank,  my  love  is  not  the  kind  that  withers  and 
decays ;  look  to  me  as  your  right  supporter ;  so  long 
as  I  have  life,  I  will  be  constant  to  you/  We  said 
good-night  and  good-bye/' 

"I  think  we  had  better  follow  suit,"  said  Mrs. 
Fremont.  "You  can  continue  at  another  time." 

114 


CHAPTER  X. 

TRYING  EXPERIENCES  OF  MR.  FOLEY  AS  A 
BAKER 

His  NARRATIVE  OF  THE  MONSTER  ORGAN. 
MR.  FOLEY'S  PET  FISH. 

SUNDAY  morning:  the  teacher  said  :  "  Katie,  let 
us  call  on  Mr.  Foley  again ;  I  like  to  hear  his 
yarns. "  Thither  they  went. 

"Miss  Wilton,  you  do  me  proud;  pray  come  in 
and  be  seated."  Mr.  Foley  was  engaged  in  making 
bread.  "As  soon  as  I  have  removed  this  loaf  from 
its  bed  I  will  be  at  leisure/'  He  removed  the  lid 
from  the  Dutch  oven  and  brought  to  light  a  batch 
of  light,  flaky  bread. 

"Mr.  Foley,  you  are  a  nice  baker." 
"I  had  some  varied  experience  before  I  became 
proficient  in  making  bread.  There  were  two  of  us. 
We  were  camped  in  Modoc  County  in  the  lava  beds, 
which  later  on  became  famous  as  the  scene  of  a  con- 
flict between  the  Modoc  Indians  and  United  States 
soldiers.  My  partner  told  me  he  was  tired  of  flap- 
jacks, and  to  'try  my  hand  at  making  biscuits  or 
bread/  so  I  started  to  make  biscuits.  I  filled  a  large 

115 


pan  two-thirds  full  of  flour,  put  in  a  big  supply  of 
saleratus,  poured  in  water  and  mixed  it  to  a  proper 
consistency.  I  divided  the  whole,  so  as  to  make 
eight  biscuits  about  the  size  of  my  head.  I  placed 
the  mess  in  the  oven  and  baked  it  for  an  hour.  I 
told  my  partner:  'We  will  have  some  nice,  fresh 
loaves  for  dinner/  When  I  took  them  out  I  noticed 
they  looked  very  yellow.  He  said,  'they  look  an 
awful  color/  He  took  one  in  his  hands  and  tried 
to  break  it  in  two;  he  exerted  all  his  strength,  but 
it  was  no  use.  He  seized  the  butcher  knife,  a  fine 
Damascus  steel,  and  made  a  vicious  stab.  The 
point  turned  the  shape  of  a  scythe,  but  the  biscuit 
was  not  damaged.  '  Well,  I'll  break  the  blamed 
thing/  He  went  out,  grabbed  the  ax  and  swung 
on  the  biscuit.  A  large  piece  flew  from  the  blade, 
but  the  thing  was  unhurt.  Now  thoroughly 
angered,  he  picked  it  up  in  both  hands  and  threw 
it  at  the  cat.  It  struck  the  animal  fairly,  which 
gave  one  or  two  shivers  and  died.  The  others 
were  no  better,  and  were  consigned  to  the  ground  in 
a  heap.  'A  man  ought  to  be  ridden  on  a  rail  that 
cannot  make  better  bread  than  that/  I  held  my 
peace. 

"In  the  last  desperate  battle  between  Uncle  Sam's 
troops  and  the  Red  Men,  my  biscuits  decided  the 
issue.  A  soldier  out  scouting  ran  across  the  cache, 
unable  to  make  out  what  substance  they  were.  He 
lugged  the  whole  eight  into  camp.  No  one  there 
could  explain  what  material  they  were  composed 
of.  Efforts  to  break  them  with  a  sledge  hammer 
116 


were  futile.  The  fight  between  the  opposing  forces 
waged  fiercely.  The  supply  of  ammunition  for  the 
most  effective  cannon  gave  out.  'If  we  only  had 
some  more  balls  or  bullets,'  cried  the  man  in  charge 
of  the  gun,  'we  would  whip  them  Redskins.  Say, 
go  bring  those  eight  mysteries  you  found.'  In 
double  quick  time  they  were  brought  and  two  of 
them  rammed  down  the  cannon.  A  roar,  and  the 
column  of  Red  Men  wavered.  'Give  them  another 
dose  like  that,  and  the  victory  is  ours/  spoke  the 
commander.  This  time  three  of  the  unknowns  were 
fired  from  the  cannon.  The  Indians  were  seized 
with  terror.  Noting  the  result  through  a  field  glass, 
the  officer  shouted :  'We  have  got  them  going  side- 
ways.' A  second  later  a  white  flag  was  displayed, 
borne  by  Captain  Jack,  Chief  of  the  Modocs.  He 
approached  within  speaking  distance,  and  in  broken 
English  said :  'Indian  give  up ;  no  can  fight  that 
kind  of  gun.'  He  surrendered  the  whole  band. 
Those  two  shots  had  killed  and  wounded  ninety-six. 
My  biscuits  had  won  the  day.  A  writer  in  de- 
scribing the  battle  said  the  American  troops  made 
use  of  a  new  projectile  that  was  more  destructive 
than  chain  shot. 

"My  next  attempt  at  bread  making  was  attended 
with  happier  results.  A  lady  loaned  me  some  yeast ; 
enough  she  told  me  to  make  three  batches.  I 
poured  it  into  a  quantity  of  flour,  stirred  them  well 
and  went  off  to  work  leaving  the  pan  and  contents 
on  the  table.  At  night  I  returned,  opened  the  door, 
and  the  first  thing  that  met  me  was  a  stream  of 

117 


dough.  It  had  effervesced,  risen  out  of  the  pan  and 
flowed  in  a  stream  over  the  floor.  I  threw  some 
more  flour  into  what  remained  in  the  pan  until  it 
was  stiff  enough  to  handle,  then  put  it  in  the  Dutch 
oven,  calculating  to  cook  it  in  the  morning.  I  was 
awakened  in  the  night  by  my  partner  saying :  'Ed- 
ward, get  up  and  help  me.'  'What's  up?'  I  asked. 
'Why,  this  dough  is  raising  so  high,  I  am  afraid  it 
will  lift  the  roof  off  the  cabin.  We  must  corral  it/ 
He  had  brought  some  boards,  so  we  fenced  it  in, 
and  put  a  heavy  weight  on  top,  to  prevent  its  going 
through  the  roof.  Next  morning  it  had  settled 
some.  I  dug  away  from  underneath,  lined  the  sides 
with  sheet  iron,  and  started  a  huge  fire.  Well,  it 
took  five  hours  to  cook  the  thing.  When  it  was 
done  it  required  the  strength  of  two  of  us  to  lower 
it  down  to  a  horizontal  attitude.  It  was  like  a  huge 
monument ;  but  it  was  a  dandy.  It  had  all  the  leav- 
ening qualities,  light,  spongy  and  tasted  better.  I 
notified  all  the  neighbors  to  come  and  get  bread 
free.  There  was  no  making  of  bread  for  miles 
around  for  a  week.  My  fame  was  made.  They 
christened  n.e  'Foley,  the  Baker/ 

"I  helped  build  a  big  musical  organ  on  the  Carson 
River  in  Nevada,  that  was  a  hummer.  There  was  a 
gang  of  mechanics  employed  to  construct  a  quartz 
mill.  Among  the  number  was  an  Englishman,  a 
German  and  an  American  (that's  me).  We  three 
became  quite  chummy  and  formed  an  alliance,  both 
offensive  and  defensive.  When  there  was  any 
scrapping  to  do,  they  assumed  the  offensive,  and  I 

118 


the  defensive.  The  owners  had  announced  that 
when  the  mill  was  completed  they  would  give  a 
celebration,  a  ball  and  supper.  The  alliance  con- 
ceived the  idea  of  making  a  monster  organ  to  fur- 
nish the  music  for  the  celebration.  The  owners 
promised  us  all  the  lumber  we  needed ;  in  our  spare 
time  we  set  to  work.  We  made  an  overshot  wheel 
thirty  feet  in  diameter,  to  drive  the  machinery.  We 
made  a  flume  six  feet  wide  by  three  feet  deep  and 
we  had  the  whole  river  to  furnish  power.  We 
labored  diligently  and  the  Leviathan  assumed  shape. 
As  it  neared  completion,  we  began  arguing  as  to 
what  piece  would  be  played  first  to  christen  the 
organ.  The  Englishman  wanted  'God  Save  the 
Queen/  the  German  said  play  the  'Watch  on  the 
Rhine/  I  vetoed  both  of  these  propositions,  telling 
them  it  must  be  the  'Star  Spangled  Banner.'  We 
discussed  it  pro  and  con,  but  could  not  agree. 
Finally,  we  compromised  on  'Annie  Laurie'  as  the 
opening  tune. 

"Two  days  before  the  mill  was  completed  we  put 
the  finishing  touches  to  our  organ.  'Annie  Laurie' 
was  in  position,  ready  to  perform  her  part.  Trav- 
elers, passing  through  the  country,  would  stop  and 
look  at  our  mammoth  and  ask :  'What  do  you  call 
that  animal;  what  is  it?' 

"When  the  day  came,  it  was  observed  as  a  holiday 
by  the  people  for  miles  around.  First  on  the  pro- 
gram were  speeches  by  different  celebrities ;  next  in 
order  was  singing  by  a  choir  and  individuals ;  then 
came  the  time  for  our  music  box  to  display  itself. 

119 


We  had  made  an  immense  gate  to  turn  the  river 
into  the  flume.  It  was  raised  and  lowered  by  a 
lever  twenty  feet  long.  I  had  men  stationed,  and 
they  were  instructed  to  work  the  lever  when  I 
•motioned.  I  gave  the  signal  and  they  turned  her 
loose.  As  the  ponderous  wheel  began  to  turn,  there 
pealed  forth  such  a  strain  from  'Annie  Laurie'  as 
was  never  heard  before  or  since.  The  earth  com- 
menced to  vibrate,  the  people  who  were  standing 
were  thrown  to  the  ground.  'It's  an  earthquake/ 
some  said.  'Do  you  feel  and  hear  the  thunder?' 
others  exclaimed.  'Yes,  and  the  sky  is  perfectly 
clear.'  I  had  a  lurking  suspicion  as  to  the  cause,  but 
held  my  peace.  As  the  machinery  got  limbered  up, 
the  speed  increased;  the  noise  was  deafening.  At 
length  it  dawned  on  some  that  the  organ  was  the 
cause  of  the  commotion.  One  of  the  owners  man- 
aged to  crawl  to  the  office  (it  was  impossible  for 
him  to  walk)  and  telephoned  to  Carson  City  for 
mule  teams  loaded  with  wood  and  saw  logs  to 
come  out.  We  were  only  two  miles  from  the  City 
and  in  less  than  half  an  hour  came  four  eight-mule 
teams,  loaded.  It  was  with  difficulty  the  mules  were 
gotten  near  enough ;  they  had  to  be  blindfolded. 
About  forty  men  began  pitching  four-foot  cord  wood 
into  the  wheel ;  the  first  sticks  were  made  kindling 
of,  and  caused  the  roller  to  skip  a  note  in  'Annie 
Laurie.'  At  length  all  hands  took  hold  of  a  saw  log 
and  by  a  combined  effort  hurled  it  into  the  machin- 
ery. With  a  convulsive  throb  and  a  shriek,  the 
wheel  stopped  short,  n^ver  to  go  again  when  the 

120 


old  man  died.  The  mule  teams  took  fright  and  ran 
away.  I  could  have  closed  the  gate,  shut  off  the 
water  and  stopped  the  racket,  but  it  was  so  much 
fun,  I  thought  'let  the  good  work  go  on/  Next 
morning  the  newspapers  from  Virginia  City,  which 
was  eighteen  miles  distant,  contained  an  account  of 
an  earthquake,  which  though  slight,  was  distinctly 
felt."  , 

"Please  tell  us  about  your  pet  fish,  Mr.  Foley." 
"All  right.  I  was  from  youth  a  disciple  of  Isaac 
Walton.  Many  an  hour  I  have  wiled  away  with  rod 
and  line,  to  entice  the  finny  tribe.  The  one  I  am 
going  to  tell  of  was  not  allured  with  line  and  hook. 
I  had  a  yearning  to  capture  a  fish  without  injury, 
and  was  of  the  opinion  it  could  be  tamed.  I  had 
a  small  flume  which  conveyed  water  from  the  river 
to  a  placer  mine.  It  was  my  practice  to  clean  up 
the  sluice  boxes  every  evening,  to  see  what  I  made 
for  the  day's  work.  I  had  a  waste  gate  where  I 
could  turn  the  water  out.  At  the  end  of  the  boxes, 
where  the  water  emptied  out  it  had  washed  a  small 
hole  in  the  ground.  When  the  water  was  turned 
out  I  went  to  this  spot,  and  usually  was  rewarded 
by  finding  fish,  more  or  less,  that  had  come  down 
the  boxes ;  once  they  were  in  the  hole  it  was  diffi- 
cult for  them  to  escape;  they  would  average  four 
inches  in  length.  My  ideal,  for  to  tame,  must  be  at 
least  ten  inches. 

"On  this  particular  evening,  I  went  to  the  hole. 
There,  sure  enough,  was  my  long  sought  for  prize. 
He  was  cunning  and  eluded  me  for  a  time,  but  I 

121 


baled  nearly  all  the  water  out  and  then  caught  him 
with  my  hands.  He  was  a  beauty,  fully  twelve 
inches  long  and  weighed  a  trifle  over  a  pound.  He 
was  of  the  species  known  as  Rainbow  trout.  I 
carried  him  to  my  cabin  and  put  him  in  a  tub  filled 
with  water.  Next  day  I  made  a  small  tank,  ar- 
ranged it  so  there  was  running  water,  and  put  my 
fish  in  his  new  home.  I  named  him  Dick.  For  the 
first  few  days  he  was  rather  shy.  I  fed  him  angle 
worms,  bread  crumbs  and  caught  flies.  When  I 
went  to  feed  him  I  would  call  'Dick!  Dick!'  He 
soon  got  to  know  his  name,  and  would  come  to  the 
surface,  eat  out  of  my  hand  and  allow  me  to  handle 
him.  One  day  I  heard  a  noise  outside.  I  looked, 
and  there  was  Dick  squirming  on  the  ground.  I 
jumped  to  the  conclusion  that  he  had  seen  a  fly  or 
insect  on  top  of  the  water,  sprang  at  it,  and  landed 
on  the  ground.  I  went  and  picked  him  up  and  put 
him  back  in  the  tank.  I  had  barely  got  inside  the 
cabin  when  I  heard  the  same  sound  again.  I  gazed, 
and  there  was  my  fish  on  the  land,  trying  to  stand 
erect  on  his  tail,  flapping  around,  going  through 
queer  movements.  My  idea  this  time  was  Dick 
thought  it  sport  to  jump  out  and  have  me  pick  him 
up  and  put  him  back.  He  was  having  a  little  fun 
at  my  expense.  Once  more  I  seized  him  and  placed 
him  in  the  tank.  I  thought  he  looked  at  me  sort 
of  comical  like.  I  went  inside,  and  heard  that  pecul- 
iar noise  again.  I  went  out  and  there  he  was  going 
through  the  same  antics  on  the  ground.  I  said : 
'Dick,  if  you  can  amuse  yourself  to  your  satisfaction, 

122 


you  may  do  so/  I  decided  to  pay  no  more  heed  to 
him,  only  to  keep  an  eye  out  and  see  he  did  not  get 
hurt.  I  sat  down  to  dinner,  when  who  should  ap- 
pear in  the  door  but  Dick.  I  watched  to  see  how 
he  managed  to  get  over  the  ground. 

"He  had  a  sinuous  gait,  after  the  manner  of  a 
serpent.  By  way  of  variety  he  would  poise  on  his 
tail  and  then  hurl  his  whole  carcass  forward,  a 
couple  of  feet  at  a  time.  I  was  amazed.  I  had 
never  read  or  heard  of  a  fish  being  able  to  navigate 
on  dry  land.  After  all,  when  I  came  to  study  the 
subject,  I  concluded  it  was  nothing  so  marvelous. 
This  is  the  age  of  invention  and  evolution.  We 
have  the  telephone,  phonograph,  automobile,  wire- 
less telegraphy,  airships,  yes,  and  the  New  Men 
and  Women,  why  not  a  New  Fish?  That  night 
when  it  came  time  to  go  to  bed,  I  took  hold  of  Dick 
to  put  him  back  in  the  tank.  He  twisted  and 
squirmed  and  made  such  a  fuss,  actually  bit  me.  So 
I  let  go  of  him  and  decided  to  let  him  have  his  own 
way.  Directly  I  saw  him  wiggle  over  to  one  corner 
and  stretch  out.  I  went  to  bed  expecting  to  find 
Dick  dead  in  the  morning.  Along  about  5  o'clock 
I  heard  a  peculiar  sort  of  whistle,  which  I  learned 
afterwards  came  from  my  fish.  He  could  force 
air  through  his  mouth  and  make  a  noise  somewhat 
similar  to  a  steam  whistle.  There  by  the  side  of 
my  bed,  standing  erect  on  his  tail,  was  Dick.  He 
looked  at  me  comical  like,  as  much  as  to  say:  'Good 
morning,  it's  time  to  get  up.'  You  know  the  habit 
roosters  have  of  crowing  at  daylight.  Well,  my 

123 


fish  was  equal  to  the  best  of  them  for  waking  up. 
I  never  needed  an  alarm  clock.  He  grew  to  be 
eighteen  inches  in  length  and  weighed  two  pounds 
arid  a  half.  He  avoided  the  water  entirely  now,  so 
I  concluded  he  must  be  amphibious. 

"He  showed  an  inclination  to  follow  me  like  a 
dog,  wherever  I  went.  At  first  I  tried  to  compel 
him  to  go  back;  he  would  rear  up  on  his  tail,  as 
much  as  to  say,  'what  are  you  going  to  do  about  it  ?' 
When  I  went  ahead,  he  would  come  too ;  every  day 
he  would  go  with  me  to  the  mine.  While  I  worked 
away,  he  would  busy  himself  catching  flies  and  in- 
sects. When  it  was  time  to  go  home,  all  I  had  to 
say  was  'Come  on,  Dick/  He  was  ready.  When 
I  wanted  to  go  to  town,  I  locked  him  in  the  cabin. 

"He  was  kind  of  shy  when  strangers  were  around. 
People  came  from  miles  around  to  see  the  fish  that 
lived  on  land.  One  day  I  had  o-casion  to  go  to  see 
a  friend  about  two  miles  away.  In  order  to  get  to 
his  house,  I  had  to  cross  a  creek  that  was  some  ten 
or  twelve  feet  wide  and  three  feet  in  depth.  A  foot 
log,  six  inches  wide,  afforded  a  crossing  for  foot- 
men. Dick,  as  usual,  was  with  me.  I  crossed  to 
the  opposite  side,  then  turned  to  see  where  my  fish 
was.  I  was  just  in  time  to  see  him  fall  into  the 
stream.  I  supposed  he  had  decided  to  go  back  to 
his  native  element  once  more  and  enjoy  a  swim.  I 
watched  to  see  him  come  to  the  surface.  He  came 
up  all  right,  but  disappeared  in  i  second.  Twice 
more  he  came  up  and  went  down,  and  then  I  never 
saw  him  more.  I  remembered  afterward  that  the 

124 


last  time  he  came  up  he  looked  at  me  reproachful 
like  as  though  he  expected  me  to  save  him.  In 
crossing  the  log  he  had  lost  his  balance  and  fallen 
in.  Yes,  he  had  lived  so  long  out  of  water  he  had 
forgotten  how  to  swim  and  actually  drowned.  I 
was  sorry  to  lose  Dick;  he  was  a  great  comfort 
to  me." 


125 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Miss  WILTON'S  VIVID  PORTRAYAL  OF  HER 
AFFIANCED  LOVER'S  TRIAL  AND  CONVIC- 
TION. 
NUMBER  1127. 

MORE  than  three  months  had  elapsed  since  Miss 
Wilton  was  installed  as  teacher.  A  better 
governed  or  more  well  regulated  school  could 
not  be  found.  Citizens  acknowledged  Mr.  Davis 
was  right  in  his  ideas  of  a  lady  instructor.  The 
older  boys  began  to  realize  what  they  had  lost  by 
not  applying  themselves  in  the  past.  Perceiving 
their  earnestness  to  acquire  knowledge,  the  teacher 
assisted  to  the  utmost  of  her  ability.  Their  studi- 
ous methods  she  commended.  As  yet  the  lady  had 
drawn  no  salary.  She  received  a  check  for  con- 
tinuous services  from  Mr.  Davis. 

"I  am  not  entitled  to  that  amount;  you  have  not 
deducted  for  the  time  the  school  was  closed/'  said 
the  teacher. 

"The  trustees  resolved  that  as  it  was  no  fault  of 
yours,  to  pay  your  salary  in  full.  I  will  insist  upon 
you  receiving  the  sum  from  me  if  not  from  the 
trustees..  I  am  better  pleased  than  three  times  that 
amount,  your  subduing  those  boys.  Your  failure 
to  discipline  the  school  would  have  meant  -my  social 
downfall/'  spoke  the  merchant. 

126 


"If  you  think  I  deserve  it,  I  will  accept.  Whilst 
I  might  have  accomplished  the  purpose  in  other 
ways,  you  and  I  know  that  the  small  pox  episode 
was  the  means  of  Danny's  reformation,  and  through 
him,  Tommy  and  the  other  boys,"  said  the  lady. 

"Mrs.  Fremont,  are  you  ready  for  some  chapters 
from  my  serial?"  enquired  the  teacher. 

"By  all  means,"  answered  that  lady. 

"When  the  bank  directors  received  Frank's  resig- 
nation, they  did  not  intend  to  let  the  matter  rest  at 
that.  They  determined  to  prosecute  him.  With 
that  end  in  view,  Mr.  Payot  appeared  before  the 
Grand  Jury,  laid  the  information  and  evidence  in 
their  hands,  and  obtained  an  indictment  for  embez- 
zlement. Frank  was  arraigned  before  a  committing 
magistrate,  pleaded  "Not  Guilty,"  and  was  bound 
over  to  appear  before  the  Superior  Court  for  trial. 

"Edward  Sweeney,  an  attorney  of  San  Francisco, 
was  retained  for  the  defense.  Frank's  father  and 
mother  canvassed  the  case  in  all  its  phases.  Mr. 
Howard,  Sr.,  suggested  a  method : 

"  'Frank,  my  property  will  sell  for  ten  thousand 
dollars ;  you  have  five  thousand  more ;  from  friends 
I  can  borrow  five  thousand;  this  makes  a  total  of 
$20,000,  or  one  half  the  missing  money.  Offer  this 
to  the  directors.  They  surely  ought  to  be  satisfied 
with  this  and  give  you  time  to  pay  the  balance.' 

"  'My  dear  father,  the  most  cogent  reason,  and 
the  one  which  has  the  most  weight  with  me,  is, 
you  and  mother  are  getting  old;  your  property 
yields  an  income  sufficient  to  keep  you  comforta- 

127 


bly.  For  me  to  deprive  you  of  your  maintenance 
would  be  unfilial.  Another  reason  is,  from  my 
learning  of  the  directors,  I  am  convinced  your  plan 
would  be  useless.  When  they  would  not  consider 
my  proposal,  they  would  not  entertain  the  terms 
you  mention.  They  will  exact  the  pound  of  flesh, 
aye,  to  the  last  penny.  You  can  do  nothing  for  me, 
save  give  me  your  blessing;  let  me  cope  with  the 
enigma ;  if  there  is  a  solution,  I  will  discover  it/ 

"A  consultation  was  held  with  Lawyer  Sweeney. 
Events  were  gone  over  from  the  day  the  money 
was  entrusted  to  him. 

"  'Frank,  I  must  be  candid  and  tell  you  we  have 
a  weak  defense  to  present/ 

"  'We  have  practically  none.  I  have  not  a  single 
witness  in  my  behalf.  The  directors  believe  I  have 
stolen  the  money;  they  think  by  criminal  proceed- 
ings I  may  become  frightened  and  disgorge  the  sum. 
Have  the  case  brought  to  trial.  Do  not  procrasti- 
nate/ said  Frank. 

"  'Hold  up  your  head.  Remember  a  man  is  inno- 
cent until  proven  guilty/  was  the  lawyer's  parting 
admonition. 

"In  every  community  there  are  those  individuals 
who  rejoice  at  a  man's  downfall ;  instead  of  lending 
a  helping  hand,  they  give  a  shove  or  a  kick  and 
immerse  him  deeper  in  the  mire.  The  tongues  of 
these  were  busy  with  gossip;  there  were  tales  that 
Frank  had  been  speculating  in  stocks  and  lost  heav- 
ily; that  in  anticipation  of  his  marriage  he  had  ap- 
propriated the  money.:  Pope  says:  'Man's  inhu- 

128 


manity  to  man  makes  countless  thousands  mourn/ 

"Before  the  day  of  examination,  Mr.  Page,  my 
uncle,  went  to  Frank  and  said:  'I  can  raise  the 
$40,000  by  sacrificing  my  belongings;  I  will  cheer- 
fully do  this,  rather  than  have  the  case  come  to 
trial/  Frank  answered : 

"  'Mr.  Page,  I  appreciate  the  spirit  in  which  your 
tender  is  made.  For  the  same  motives  that  im- 
pelled me  to  decline  my  father's  offer,  I  must  re- 
fuse yours/ 

"The  day  of  trial  arrived.  The  press  had  kept 
the  public  posted.  The  court  room  was  packed  to 
its  full  capacity.  The  preliminaries  were  gone 
through  and  the  impaneling  of  a  jury  was  in  order. 
The  talesmen  were  questioned  as  to  whether  or 
not  they  would  be  willing  to  convict  on  circum- 
stantial evidence.  Those  answering  in  the  affirma- 
tive were  chosen.  Those  replying  in  the  negative 
were  excused.  Twelve  men  were  selected  before 
the  venire  was  exhausted.  The  District  Attorney 
made  his  opening  statement  to  the  jury  of  what  he 
expected  to  prove. 

"  'We  have  no  direct  or  positive  evidence  to  pro- 
duce, but  we  will  present  to  you  an  array  of  circum- 
stantial evidence,  so  convincing  that  you  will  have 
no  difficulty  in  arriving  at  a  verdict/ 

"Mr.  Bailey  was  the  first  witness.  He  testified  to 
giving  $40,000  to  Mr.  Howard,  the  cashier,  after 
the  bank  had  closed;  of  returning  next  day  for  the 
money,  to  be  told  it  was  missing  and  could  not  be 
found;  that  the  directors  had  made  good  to  him. 

129 


The  cross-examination  brought  out  that  Frank  had 
told  him  it  was  after  office  hours ;  that  the  safe  was 
locked  and  could  not  be  opened  until  the  next  morn- 
ing; that  he  had  urged  Mr.  Howard  to  put  the 
package  in  a  drawer  as  he  was  going  to  the  city  and 
disliked  to  carry  so  large  a  sum;  that  the  cashier 
was  reluctant  to  accept  the  money,  but  finally 
yielded  to  his  pleading. 

"The  next  witness  was  James  Stone,  who  gave 
testimony  to  having  seen  Mr.  Howard  receive  the 
money,  count  it  and  place  it  in  a  drawer;  that  he 
left  and  the  cashier  was  the  last  person  in  the  bank. 
Cross-examined  as  to  his  relations  with  Frank,  he 
said  they  were  not  cordial.  He  considered  the  cash- 
ier too  dictatorial  and  had  a  dislike  for  him.  Asked 
if  his  dislike  was  founded  on  jealousy  because  a 
certain  lady  had  rejected  him  and  accepted  Mr. 
Howard,  was  objected  to  by  the  District  Attorney, 
and  the  court  sustained  the  objection.  He  was  ex- 
cused. 

"The  third  witness  was  Tim  Desmond,  night- 
watchman,  who  swore  to  being  on  duty  all  night; 
that  it  would  be  impossible  for  any  one  to  enter  or 
leave  the  bank  without  his  seeing  them.  He  was 
not  cross-examined. 

"The  janitor  was  the  next  witness.  He  affirmed 
that  the  cashier  came  to  the  bank  twenty  minutes 
earlier  than  was  his  custom ;  went  direct  and  opened 
a  drawer;  at  the  time  his  action  looked  peculiar. 
He  was  not  examined  by  the  defense. 

130 


"The  last  witness  was  President  Stone.  He  testi- 
fied to  having  received  a  telephone  message  from 
the  cashier  to  hurry  to  the  bank.  He  went,  and 
heard  the  account  of  the  $40,000,  and  its  disappear- 
ance. He  called  the  board  of  directors ;  laid  the 
situation  before  them,  and  their  action.  Cross- 
examined,  he  said  he  reposed  the  greatest  confidence 
in  Mr.  Howard ;  that  he  had  pleaded  with  the  board 
to  give  the  cashier  a  chance  to  pay  the  amount  in 
installments ;  that  he  did  not  believe  Mr.  Howard 
embezzled  the  money.  This  last  was  objected  to 
as  merely  an  opinion.  The  objection  was  sustained 
and  ordered  stricken  out. 

"The  prosecution  rested  its  case. 
'  'Gentlemen  of  the  jury,  I  have  only  one  witness, 
the  defendant  himself.  I  shall  rely  upon  your  sense 
of  justice  to  give  his  version  that  credence  which  it 
is  entitled  to ;  his  veracity  has  never  been  ques- 
tioned. Mr.  Howard,  please  take  the  stand/ 

"The  oath  was  administered.  Tlease  tell  your 
connection  with  the  Corn  and  Exchange  Bank  and 
the  history  of  that  missing  $40,000.' 

"In  a  distinct  voice,  audible  throughout  the  court 
room,  Frank  Howard  began  : 

"  'I  was  born  and  reared,  and  mostly  educated  in 
the  city  of  Oakland;  part  of  my  learning  was  ac- 
quired in  San  Francisco.  For  more  than  eight  years 
I  was  a  trusted  official  in  the  bank ;  for  five  of  these 
years  I  held  the  responsible  position  of  cashier.  I 
received  the  $40,000  from  Mr.  Bailey;  I  did  this 
contrary  to  my  better  judgment.  I  knew  I  was 

131 


breaking  one  of  the  rules,  namely,  not  to  accept 
money  after  office  hours.  I  did  it  at  his  earnest 
solicitation,  for  reasons  which  he  has  testified  to.  I 
went  to  the  bank  twenty  minutes  before  my  usual 
time;  this  was  because  I  had  a  presentiment  of 
danger.  I  was  uneasy  for  the  safety  of  the  money. 
The  lock  on  the  drawer  was  a  common  one;  any 
ordinary  key  would  fit  it.  The  meeting  of  the  direc- 
tors and  their  subsequent  action  you  have  been  told. 
As  to  who  stole  that  money  and  where  it  went  to,  I 
am  as  much  in  the  dark  as  you  are.  For  thirty  years 
I  have  been  a  resident  of  Oakland  and  the  Bay  City. 
If  there  is  a  man  or  woman  living  in  these  cities 
where  my  whole  life  has  been  spent,  who  can  say 
one  word  derogatory  to  my  reputation,  I  challenge 
them  to  come  forward  with  the  proof/ 

"  'Take  the  witness/  said  Attorney  Sweeney. 

"  'There  will  be  no  cross-examination/  said  the 
prosecutor.  'He  has  answered  any  question  I  might 
wish  to  ask  in  his  statement.' 

"  'May  it  please  your  Honor  and  gentlemen  of  the 
jury,  this  is  our  defense.  I  could  introduce  testi- 
mony to  prove  my  client's  honesty,  but  as  the 
prosecution  has  not  sought  to  impeach  his  character, 
I  do  not  deem  it  necessary/ 

"To  the  student  of  human  nature,  it  was  evident 
the  audience  believed  Frank  Howard's  straight- 
forward version.  Their  sympathy  was  with  him. 
They  leaned  forward  eager  to  catch  the  words  as 
they  rolled  from  his  tongue  in  a  recital  of  his  life's 

132 


story.  Had  the  verdict  been  left  to  them,  it  would 
have  been  unanimous  for  acquittal. 

"Both  sides  announced  their  case  closed.  The 
judge  admonished  the  jury  not  to  discuss  the  case 
among  themselves  or  allow  any  one  to  approach 
them  in  regard  to  it.  He  dismissed  them  till  the 
following  day. 

"At  9  o'clock  the  court  was  called  to  order.  The 
District  Attorney  arose  and  said : 

"  'May  it  please  your  Honor,  and  gentlemen  of 
the  jury,  the  evidence  of  Mr.  Bailey,  Mr.  Stone,  Mr. 
Desmond  and  Mr.  White,  the  janitor,  has  not  been 
denied  by  the  defense.  They  have  practically  ad- 
mitted its  truth.  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  case  so 
plain  "that  he  who  runs  may  read."  It  must  be 
patent  to  every  one  that  the  $40,000  package  did  not 
take  wings  and  fly  away.  If  Mr.  Howard  did  not 
embezzle  the  money,  who  did?  Why  has  not  the 
defense  introduced  testimony  to  show  that  some 
one  else  is  culpable  for  its  disappearance.  Why  not? 
It  has  not  attempted  to  prove  an  alibi.  Do  not 
allow  yourselves  to  be  swayed  by  an  appeal  to  your 
pity  or  sympathies;  render  a  verdict  without  fear 
or  favor/ 

"Attorney  Sweeney  spoke  as  follows : 

'  'If  your  Honor  please,  and  gentlemen  of  the 
jury,  you  have  heard  from  the  lips  of  Mr.  Howard 
a  manly  declaration  of  the  missing  package  and  his 
relation  to  it.  He  has  not  attempted  to  screen  him- 
self, or  conceal  the  most  minute  detail  in  making  the 
mistake  of  accepting  the  $40,000  contrary  to  business 

133 


rules.  Mr.  Stone,  president  of  the  bank,  has  told 
you  he  does  not  believe  Mr.  Howard  purloined  that 
package.  Does  any  reasonable  man  think  that  he 
would  blight  his  reputation,  after  pursuing  an  hon- 
orable career  all  his  life,  by  taking  money  which 
did  not  belong  to  him?  To  do  wrong  is  foreign  to 
his  disposition.  His  footsteps  have  followed  in  the 
path  of  rectitude.  Prior  to  this  unpleasant  compli- 
cation, the  future  had  a  roseate  hue  for  Frank 
Howard.  He  was  engaged  to  be  married  to  one 
of  the  most  charming  and  estimable  of  young  ladies. 
The  wedding  day  was  fixed.  He  looked  anxiously 
for  the  time  when  the  ceremony  would  be  solemn- 
ized and  his  cup  of  joy  replete.  I  reiterate,  does  any 
sane  person  believe  that  with  these  alluring  pros- 
pects in  sight,  Frank  Howard  would  deliberately 
wreck  his  future  happiness,  and  the  happiness  of 
those  he  holds  dearer  than  life?  When  Mr.  Howard 
made  to  the  bank  directors  the  offer  to  pay  all  the 
money  he  had  in  the  world,  viz :  $5,000,  and  from 
his  salary  each  month  $150  until  the  debt  was  paid, 
would  it  not  have  been  more  humane,  more  in  keep- 
ing with  the  teachings  of  the  Bible,  to  have  accepted 
this  proposal  and  silenced  the  affair,  than  to  reject 
it  and  seek  to  consign  an  innocent  man  to  state's 
prison?  Shylock,  when  he  demanded  the  fulfillment 
of  the  bond,  the  full  pound  of  flesh,  was  not  more 
avaricious  and  vindictive  than  these  bank  directors. 
Will  this  notoriety  redound  to  the  credit  of  the 
bank?  Echo  answers  "No!"  From  relatives  and 
intimate  friends  have  come  tenders  of  the  $40,000. 

134 


To  raise  this  amount  would  have  obliged  them  to 
dispose  of  all  the  property  they  possessed,  and  ren- 
dered them  bankrupt.  He  refused  to  entertain  these 
terms.  He  would  not  permit  the  sacrifice,  even  to 
save  himself  from  prison.  His  conduct  is  magnani- 
mous. There  is  a  mystery  as  to  the  whereabouts  of 
this  package.  There  are  parties  who  cwild  explain 
it,  but  for  motives  of  their  own  they  prefer  to  cast 
the  onus,  the  disgrace,  upon  my  client,  an  innocent 
man.  Before  finishing  I  desire  to  impress  upon  you 
the  fallibility  of  circumstantial  evidence,  which  the 
prosecution  relies  upon  in  this  case  to  convict.  Men 
have  been  found  guilty  on  this  class  of  evidence,  it 
is  true,  but  the  chain  must  be  connected  and  no  link 
missing.  This,  we  claim,  it  has  failed  to  show. 
It  will  subserve  no  end  of  justice  to  find  Frank 
Howard  guilty.  A  verdict  of  acquittal  will  restore 
him  to  the  honorable  place  he  occupied  in  the  public 
eye,  and  to  the  rank  of  a  happy  benedict.  We  ask 
this  at  your  hands.  I  return  my  sincere  thanks  for 
your  courteous  attention/ 

"  'If  your  Honor  please,  and  gentlemen  of  the 
jury,  the  defendant's  attorney  has  sought  to  throw 
discredit  upon  and  impeach  circumstantial  evidence. 
In  the  absence  of  positive  evidence,  it  is  the  only 
class  obtainable.  Hundreds  of  the  most  heinous 
crimes  have  been  traced  and  the  criminals  appre- 
hended and  punished  by  this  kind  of  evidence. 
Every  circumstance,  every  particular  in  this  case, 
points  to  the  defendant  as  the  guilty  one.  By  in- 
sinuation and  suggestion,  the  attorney  has  sought 

135 


to  impress  upon  you  the  possibility  that  some  un- 
known, whose  identity  they  refuse  to  disclose,  has 
made  away  with  the  $40,000.  This  is  nonsense,  pure 
and  simple.  Had  they  evidence  that  would  incrimi- 
nate any  party  outside  of  the  defendant,  would  they 
not  produce  it  to  save  him?  The  directors  of  the 
bank  have  been  harshly  criticised  for  not  compro- 
mising on  the  terms  offered  by  the  defendant.  They 
are  convinced  in  their  own  minds  Frank  Howard 
knows  where  that  money  is.  To  accede  to  his 
offer  would  make  them  participes  criminis,  in 
protecting  crime.  To  safeguard  the  interests  of  the 
public  and  the  bank  is  their  duty.  The  embezzling 
of  other  people's  money  by  officials  is  becoming  a 
frequent  occurrence.  An  example  should  be  made 
of  them  when  detected.  This  would  deter  others 
from  pursuing  the  same  policy.  Reference  has  been 
made  to  the  defendant's  previous  good  character. 
There  are  numerous  cases  on  record  where  men 
have  led  honorable  lives  for  a  period  of  years.  They 
could  not  resist  a  temptation,  fell  from  grace,  and 
their  upright  career  was  ruined.  The  present  case 
coincides  with  these.  It  is  the  story  of  another 
good  man  gone  wrong.  The  happy  social  and 
domestic  future  so  vividly  painted  by  the  attorney 
for  the  defense  should  have  been  considered  by 
Frank  Howard  when  enticed  to  commit  a  crime. 
From  the  testimony  we  expect  a  verdict  of  guilty 
as  charged  at  your  hands/ 

136 


"This  closed  the  case.  The  judge  instructed  and 
charged  the  jury  as  to  the  law  governing  the  case. 
In  chief  he  said : 

"  'The  defendant  is  guilty  of  embezzlement,  or  in- 
nocent of  the  crime.  If  any  doubt  exists  in  your 
mind,  you  must  give  the  defendant  the  benefit  of 
that  doubt.  Mr.  Sheriff,  take  charge  of  the  jury. 
You  will  now  retire  and  deliberate/ 

"In  the  interim,  the  probability  of  a  verdict  and 
its  nature  was  discussed.  Lawyer  Sweeney  was 
sanguine  of  acquittal,  or  a  disagreement,  which 
would  be  a  victory  for  the  defendant.  The  clock 
indicated  the  jury  had  been  out  two  hours  and  fifty 
minutes,  when  a  call  for  the  sheriff  came  from  the 
jury  room.  The  talesmen  filed  in  and  took  their 
seats.  All  was  acute  expectancy.  The  judge  cau- 
tioned the  spectators  to  refrain  from  any  demonstra- 
tion. 

"  'Gentlemen,  have  you  agreed  upon  a  verdict?7 

"  'We  have/  responded  the  foreman,  and  handed 
to  the  Clerk  a  strip  of  paper.  The  Clerk  read :  'We, 
the  jury,  find  the  defendant  guilty  of  embezzlement, 
and  recommend  him  to  the  mercy  of  the  court/ 

"  'Poll  the  jury,  please/  said  Attorney  Sweeney. 
Each  one  in  turn  was  asked :  'Is  this  your  verdict?' 
They  answered  in  the  affirmative.  The  judge 
thanked  the  jury,  and  told  them  they  were  dis- 
charged. A  whispered  consultation  took  place  be- 
tween Attorney  Sweeney  and  Frank  Howard.  The 
attorney  arose  and  said : 

137 


"  'May  it  please  your  Honor,  I  had  thought  of 
preparing  a  bill  of  exceptions  and  making  a  motion 
for  a  new  trial,  but  my  client  has  upset  my  calcula- 
tions. He  requests  permission  to  address  the  court 
and  explain  his  desire/ 

:t  'Mr.  Howard,  you  have  my  consent/  replied  his 
Honor. 

" 'If  your  Honor  please,  I  am  aware  there  is  a 
routine  of  legal  impediments  that  could  be  utilized 
to  delay  the  machinery  of  the  law.  I  do  not  wish  to 
avail  myself  of  any  technicalities.  I  am  prepared 
to  receive  my  sentence;  I  bow  to  the  will  of  the 
inevitable.  My  attorney  has  earned  my  profound 
gratitude  for  the  able  defense  he  put  forward,  in 
the  face  of  adverse  circumstances.  I  cherish  no 
animosity  towards  the  jury  for  having  found  me 
guilty.  There  are  two  kinds  of  circumstances  in 
the  passage  of  live,  viz :  good  and  bad.  I  am  a 
victim  of  the  bad  kind.  Some  day  the  veil  that  ob- 
scures this  secret  will  be  lifted  and  the  wrong  done 
me  righted.  Do  not  construe  these  remarks  as  a 
bid  for  clemency,  your  Honor.  I  respectfully  ask 
that  judgment  be  imposed  instanter.  For  conde- 
scending to  listen  to  my  remarks,  I  return  my  hon- 
.  est  thanks/ 

"Judge  Smith  deliberated  for  a  few  minutes.  'Mr. 
Howard,  your  request  is  a  singular  one.  The  rule 
is,  when  a  person  has  been  found  guilty,  to  delay 
the  operation  of  the  law,  by  motions,  appeals ;  and 
every  device  is  exhausted  known  to  the  legal  pro- 
fession. Your  petition  is  the  exception.  I  shall 

138 


jzy& 

</T    OF~ 

I  UNIVERSIT 

\ 

comply  with  if.    I  have  worn  the  judicial  ermine  for 

sixteen  years.  I  have  become  familiar  with  all 
grades  of  criminals.  I  am  willing  to  go  on  record 
as  saying,  I  do  not  believe  you  guilty  of  the  crime 
of  embezzlement.  Were  I  to  follow  the  dictates  of 
my  conscience,  I  would  set  you  free;  but  a  jury  of 
your  peers  has  pronounced  you  guilty;  I  am  only 
an  instrument  of  the  law  and  must  prescribe  the 
penalty.  I  shall  give  you  the  minimum  sentence. 
Mr.  Howard,  the  judgment  of  the  court  is,  that  you 
be  incarcerated  in  San  Quentin  for  a  term  of  three 
years.  I  remand  you  to  the  custody  of  the  sheriff/ 

"A  dramatic  scene  took  place.  A  lady,  beautiful 
beyond  comparte,  handsomely  gowned,  glided  to 
Frank  Howard's  side.  Placing  one  arm  around  his 
neck,  with  the  other  uplifted,  she  exclaimed : 

'  'They  have  pronounced  you  guilty,  my  be- 
trothed. I  proclaim  you  innocent.  To  prove  my 
faith,  I  will  marry  you  now,  right  here,  if  his  Honor 
will  perform  the  ceremony/ 

"The  lady  was  Miss  May  Wilton.  The  audience 
was  moved  to  tears.  Women  sobbed;  men  drew 
out  their  handkerchiefs  and  wiped  their  eyes.  Judge 
Smith  was  seen  to  turn  his  head.  His  Honor  made 
no  attempt  to  interrupt  them.  Striving  to  hide  his 
emotion,  in  a  low  voice,  Frank  Howard  spoke : 

"  'May,  it  cannot  be,  not  now.  Do  not  prolong  this 
interview  or  I  fear  I  shall  collapse.  Come  and  see 
me  in  jail,  when  I  am  composed/ 

139 


"Placing  both  arms  around  his  neck,  indifferent 
to  the  presence  of  the  spectators,  she  imprinted  a 
fervid  kiss  upon  his  lips,  then  quietly  withdrew. 

"This  language  is  not  mine/'  said  the  teacher  to 
Mrs.  Fremont.  "It  is  taken  from  a  newspaper  ac- 
count of  the  closing  scene  in  the  trial,  published  next 
day.  It  is  correct,  however.  Yes,  I  spoke  those 
words,  and  put  my  arms  around  Frank's  neck  and 
kissed  him  before  the  crowd.  Do  you  think  it  was 
a  bold  thing  to  do?" 

"No,  I  presume  you  were  carried  away  with  ex- 
citement and  indignation/'  answered  Mrs.  Fremont. 

"Turning  to  the  sheriff,  Frank  said :  'I  am  ready 
to  go  with  you/ 

'  'Mr.  Howard,  it  is  the  rule  when  a  man  has  been 
sentenced,  to  handcuff  him ;  I  do  not  wish  to  subject 
you  to  this  indignity.  I  believe  you  a  gentleman. 
Give  me  your  word  to  do  nothing  to  embarrass  me 
and  I  will  extend  to  you  all  the  privileges  at  my 
command/ 

"The  jail  was  contiguous  to  the  court  house.  The 
sheriff  conducted  Frank  to  the  most  spacious  cell. 
Frank's  parents  called  and  remained  till  late. 
Frank  had  especially  requested  that  his  mother  do 
not  attend  the  trial,  as  he  wished  to  spare 
her  hearing  unpleasant  remarks  made  of  him.  The 
mother  was  nearly  heart-broken  when  acquainted 
with  the  news  that  her  son  had  been  sentenced  to 
serve  three  years  in  prison ;  her  lamentations  were 
pitiful  to  behold. 

140 


"  'My  dear  boy,  you  never  stole  that  money ;  it 
is  not  your  disposition  to  do  wrong.  You  are  suf- 
fering for  the  crime  of  some  other  person.  You 
were  always  a  dutiful  son.' 

"  'Mother  dear,  you  must  bear  up  bravely.  It  dis- 
tresses me  to  see  your  sorrow.  Under  the  provi- 
sions of  the  Goodwin  Act  I  will  not  be  obliged  to 
serve  but  two  years.  Before  the  expiration  of  that 
time  disclosures  may  take  place.  I  am  resigned,  and 
supplicate  you  to  make  the  best  of  it/ 

"The  mother  became  calm.  He  gave  his  father  a 
check  for  $5,000,  the  money  he  had  saved.  The 
parents  would  have  stayed  all  night,  but  Frank 
counseled  them  to  seek  repose.  I  was  with  my 
betrothed  all  this  time,  that  is  why  I  am  able  to 
give  you  a  verbatim  story  of  what  took  place. 

"Frank  and  I  talked  of  the  future,  agreed  upon 
plans  and  mode  of  procedure,  and  bade  one  another 
farewell  and  good-bye,  as  Frank  was  to  leave  for 
his  new  home  in  the  morning. 

"Mr.  and  Mrs.  Page  were  on  hand  next  -morning ; 
they  told  Frank  to  be  of  good  cheer,  and  said  adieu. 
His  parents  wished  to  accompany  him  across  the 
Bay,  but  he  urged  them  not  to.  He  feared  his 
mother  might  break  down  and  cause  a  commotion. 
All  being  in  readiness,  the  sheriff,  Frank  and  I 
boarded  a  train  and  the  journey  to  San  Quentin  was 
under  way.  The  Sheriff  treated  Frank  more  like  a 
companion  than  a  prisoner.  From  the  Oakland 
Mole  we  took  the  Ferry  Boat  and  were  soon  in  San 

141 


Francisco.  Attorney  Sweeney  met  us  as  we  alight- 
ed from  the  boat.  Frank  inquired  as  to  his  fee  for 
defending  him.  He  replied  : 

"  'You  owe  me  nothing.  I  could  not  make  an 
able  defense,  as  I  was  handicapped  for  lack  of  evi- 
dence. If  I  can  get  you  liberated  and  declared  inno- 
cent, then  we  will  talk  of  pay/ 

"The  boat  to  convey  them  to  San  Quentin  was 
waiting.  'Good-bye,  dearest  May.  May  God  bless 
you  for  your  fidelity/  were  the  last  words  spoken  by 
my  affianced  as  he  and  the  sheriff  took  seats.  I 
watched  the  boat  recede,  and  waved  my  handker- 
chief until  it  had  faded  from  view. 

"The  sheriff  supplied  me  with  what  follows :  He 
had  a  private  talk  with  the  warden  and  gave  Frank 
an  excellent  recommendation,  and  then  surrendered 
him  to  that  official.  Frank  was  measured,  weighed 
and  shaved,  and  exchanged  his  clothes  for  a  suit 
of  prison  garb.  The  warden  said :  'I  need  a  clerk ; 
I  will  retain  you  in  my  office.  Your  number  is  1127.' 

"As  Frank  surveyed  himself,  he  said :  'I  am  now 
a  full  fledged  convict.  Tell  my  sweetheart  I  am 
Number  1127.' 

"The  sheriff  shook  hands  and  left.  This  is  my 
story,  and  the  cause  of  my  visitation.  The  sequel 
is  yet  to  come,"  said  the  teacher. 


142 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  HUMBOLDT  BIG  TREE. — MR.   FOLEY'S 
BLACK  HOUND. 

THE  DUCKS  AND  THE  LAKE — A  PHE- 
NOMENON WITNESSED  BY  MR.  FOLEY. 
THE  PROSPECTOR'S  LIFE. 
A  JEALOUS  LOVER'S  REVENGE. 

A  NUMBER  of  men  had  assembled  at  the  store 
of  Mr.  Davis.  Among1  them  was  Foley.  He 
was  opportuned  to  regale  them  with  a  recital. 
"I  was  in  Humboldt  once  upon  a  time.  Htim- 
boldt  County  is  noted  for  its  big  redwood  trees, 
Giant  Sequoia,  the  scientists  call  them.  I  was  ad- 
miring one  of  these  monsters  of  the  forest  one  day, 
it  was  18  or  20  feet  in  diameter.  I  remarked  it  was 
the  largest  specimen  I  had  ever  seen.  An  old  settler 
and  woodsman,  close  by,  overheard  me  and  said: 
'You  must  be  a  stranger,  a  tenderfoot  in  these  parts/ 
I  acknowledged  the  soft  impeachment.  'This  is  as  a 
mole  hill  to  a  mountain  when  compared  with  the 
one  that  up-rooted  and  fell  some  years  ago  near 
Bayside.  It  was  anywhere  from  30  to  40  feet  in 
diameter;  just  how  tall  it  was  I  don't  know, 
stranger,  but  the  top  reached  over  into  the  next 
county.  It  lay  close  to  the  public  road.  Some  one 
started  a  fire  at  the  roots  and  butt,  which  burned 

143 


the  center  all  out,  but  left  the  outside  a  shell.  It 
was  burning  for  several  weeks;  it  even  consumed 
the  inside  of  the  big  limbs.  A  stock  man  came  along 
with  a  drove  of  cattle;  there  was  just  an  even  thou- 
sand in  the  bunch.  When  the  herd  came  to  this 
big  tree  the  leaders  walked  right  into  the  hollow 
butt  and  every  other  beast  followed.  The  owner 
was  mad  clear  through.  There  were  ten  cowboys. 
S^me  of  these  the  boss  told  to  ride  on  the  outside 
of  the  tree,  the  rest  to  go  behind  the  herd.  Two- 
thirds  of  the  distance  from  the  butt,  the  fire  had 
burned  a  hole  through  to  the  outside.  The  opening 
was  big  enough  for  a  good  sized  house  to  fit  in. 
When  the  cattle  saw  this  breach,  they  veered  and 
came  out  into  the  open.  The  owner,  with  the  help 
of  the  cowboys,  counted  the  drove  and  found  285 
head  missing.  Back  they  went  through  the  tree  to 
the  butt;  no  sign  of  the  lost  cattle  could  be  seen. 
They  began  to  search  in  the  branches.  There  were 
found  the  absent  -  steers.  They  had  strayed  into 
the  hollowed  branches,  past  the  opening.  Well,  sir, 
the  distance  from  the  hole  in  the  side  was  so  great 
that  it  took  them  all  day  to  reach  the  rest  of  the 
band.  It's  a  fact,  stranger/  said  the  old  woodsman. 
This  is  a  Humboldt  yarn.  I  am  not  responsible  for 
its  veracity. 

"You  all  know  that  black  hound  of  mine  I"  They 
nodded  assent.  "He  was  a  medium  size,  coal  black 
greyhound.  He  could  run  some.  For  several  weeks 
I  was  prospecting  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Forks  of 
Salmon.  The  dog  was  my  associate.  Occasionally 

144 


he  would  wander  off  alone  for  a  hunt  and  be  gone 
all  day,  but  returned  to  camp  at  night.  The  day  I 
packed  up  and  got  ready  to  leave  the  Forks,  my 
hound  was  absent ;  gone  off  on  one  of  his  periodicals. 
This  did  not  worry  me,  for  I  expected  when  he  came 
back,  found  me  gone,  he  would  take  up  my  scent 
and  overtake  me.  When  I  reached  here  in  the  after- 
noon, I  stepped  into  the  telephone  office  and  rang 
up  the  Forks  of  Salmon.  I  inquired  if  any  person 
had  seen  my  hound.  The  manager  of  the  store 
answered :  'Yes,  he  was  just  here.  Say,  I  see  him 
now  going  up  the  road,  hitting  the  high  places/  I 
hung  up  the  phone,  walked  out  into  the  street ;  there 
stood  my  canine,  wagging  his  tail  and  glad  to  see 
me.  The  distance  from  the  Forks  of  Salmon  to 
Sawyers  Bar  is  sixteen  miles,  measured.  I  had  not 
exceeded  five  minutes  at  the  telephone.  His  hair 
was  a  trifle  moist  from  perspiration.  Yes,  that  was 
going  some. 

"I  witnessed  a  great  phenomenon  once.  I  knew 
of  a  lake  that  was  the  favorite  resort  for  ducks, 
when  they  migrate  from  the  North  to  the  South  in 
the  fall  of  the  year.  I  have  a  weakness  for  the  meat 
of  the  web-footed  birds.  Armed  with  my  shot  gun 
(Old  Betsey)  I  repaired  to  this  rendezvous  to  pro- 
cure a  mess.  When  I  came  in  sight  of  the  lake,  no 
sign  of  water  was  visible ;  the  quackers  covered  the 
surface  in  such  a  dense  body,  that  no  fluid  could  be 
seen.  The  lake  was  three  miles  in  length  by  one- 
half  a  mile  wide.  There  must  have  been  millions. 
They  were  packed  so  close  together  I  doubt  if  you 

145 


could  have  inserted  a  pin  between  them.  Such  a 
noise  as  they  made!  They  were  all  quacking  at 
once.  It  is  beneath  my  dignity  to  shoot  birds  set- 
ting; I  always  take  them  on  the  wing  after  they 
rise.  I  gave  a  holloa ;  they  rose  en  masse  (gen- 
tlemen, that's  French).  I  was  too  astonished  to 
shoot.  With  their*  feathers,  the  ducks  had  ab- 
sorbed every  drop  of  water  in  the  lake ;  it  was  dry. 
I  could  have  killed  hundreds  by  turning  loose  Old 
Betsey,  but  was  too  amazed,  and  failed  to  get  any. 

"In  the  course  of  a  week  a  traveler  passed  and 
hailed  me :  'I  say,  stranger,  do  you  believe  in  mira- 
cles/ I  answered :  'Yes,  I  have  found  it  cheaper  to 
believe  everything  that  is  told  me  than  to  go  search- 
ing around  for  evidence  to  disprove  the  tales/ 

'  'Where  I  just  came  from  in  Oregon,  a  wonder- 
ful thing  happened  a  few  days  back.  There  is  a 
hole,  or  hollow  between  mountains,  that  has  been 
dry  since  Noah  sailed  in  the  Ark.  A  lake  has  sud- 
denly appeared  there  about  three  miles  long  and  half 
a  mile  wide.  No  one  up  there  can  explain  it/ 

"I  knew  the  solution ;  those  ducks  had  carried  the 
water  from  my  lake  and  deposited  it  in  Oregon. 

"The  prospector  is  an  independent  biped.  He  is 
in  a  class  by  himself.  From  the  mother  earth  he 
seeks  to  wrest  treasures,  hidden  from  the  human 
gaze,  and  increase  the  circulating  medium.  Some- 
times he  is  solitary  and  alone;  generally  there  are 
two  in  partners ;  often  more.  The  prospector  is  the 
pioneer  in  every  mining  camp.  They  make  progress 
through  the  most  rugged  country,  blazing  trails,  sur- 

146 


mounting  obstacles,  that  to  the  uninitiated  seem 
nigh  impossible.  They  will  scale  a  perpendicular 
cliff,  if  a  pan  prospect  or  piece  of  gold-bearing  ore 
will  reward  their  labor.  Buoyed  with  hope,  he 
never  says  despair.  A  fortune  is  just  ahead  of  him ; 
if  he  does  not  strike  it  rich  this  week,  maybe  next 
week,  or  month,  or  year.  His  faith  is  in  the  future ; 
every  cloud  has  a  gold  or  silver  lining  to  him.  He 
is  a  generous,  whole-souled  individual.  The 
stranger  who  strays  to  his  camp  is  invited  to  partake 
of  his  frugal  repast.  If  it  chance  to  be  night,  a  re- 
quest to  accept  of  his  hospitality  till  morning  is 
forthcoming.  An  inventory  of  his  stock  and  utensils 
would  comprise  flour,  baking  powder,  coffee,  sugar, 
bacon  and  beans ;  these  last  two  are  staple  articles. 
If  reduced  to  exigencies,  to  the  use  of  these  two,  and 
flour,  the  prospector  can  live  and  wax  fat.  Bacon, 
beans  and  flour  are  the  prime  commodities  in  dis- 
covering mines.  His  implements  of  labor  are  a  pick, 
shovel,  iron  pan  for  washing  dirt,  called  a  gold  pan, 
mortar  and  pestle  for  pulverizing  quartz ;  sometimes 
a  few  luxuries  are  added  to  this  list,  but  those  enum- 
erated are  necessaries.  In  his  pocket  he  carries  a 
magnifying  glass,  and  every  piece  of  float  is  care- 
fully examined  for  gold.  In  his  pack  or  on  his 
shoulder  is  carried  a  repeating  rifle.  The  country 
through  which  he  travels  is  the  home  of  deer,  bear 
and  other  wild  animals,  and  furnishes  fresh  meat. 
When  his  larder  is  exhausted,  he  seeks  the  nearest 
town,  replenishes  his  commissary,  and  is  off  again. 
The  small  urchin  is  always  his  friend,  or  rather  a 

147 


friend  of  his  companion,  the  long-eared  little  beast 
of  burden.  The  small  boy  will  follow  the  donkey 
as  long  as  permitted,  in  hopes  of  being  rewarded  by 
a  ride.  The  first  rise  of  prosperity  to  California, 
and  every  mining  state,  should  be  credited  to  these 
delvers  after  buried  treasure.  The  worthy  co-adju- 
tor  of  the  prospector  is  the  burro.  Praise  should  be 
given  to  these  faithful  animals  for  their  part  in  the 
discovery  of  new  mining  regions.  They  plod  along 
all  day,  seemingly  contented  with  their  lot,  bearing 
a  load  as  large  as  themselves.  When  evening  comes 
and  a  camp  has  been  selected,  after  being  unloaded, 
they  indulge  in  a  roll  on  the  ground,  get  up  and  go 
to  feeding  on  whatever  the  country  affords.  Chunks 
of  bread,  fat  bacon  or  a  dish  of  beans  are  luxuries 
to  them.  A  lump  of  sugar  will  make  a  burro  hee- 
haw and  smile  from  ear  to  ear;  in  the  absence  of 
these,  a  few  old  newspapers,  an  old  ribbon  or  leather 
boot,  will  suffice,  and  even  old  tin  cans  are  relished 
by  these  four-footed  friends  of  man.  Small  favors 
are  gratefully  received  and  larger  ones  in  propor- 
tion. They  possess  cast  iron  stomachs  and  digest 
anything  from  a  piece  of  oak  timber  to  a  worn  out 
cross-cut  saw.  About  once  a  month  the  prospector 
files  the  burro's  teeth,  then  he  is  able  to  bite  a  wire 
nail  in  two.  They  can  be  turned  loose  at  night, 
and  relied  upon  to  be  close  to  camp  in  the  morning. 
Unlike  the  horse  or  mule,  they  never  forsake  their 
master.  They  are  patient,  companionable  little 
animals." 


148 


On  the  afternoon  when  Frank  Howard  received 
the  $40,000  for  safe  keeping,  James  Stone  was  pres- 
ent. When  he  saw  the  cashier  count  and  place 
the  package  in  a  drawer,  he  communed  with  him- 
self: 

"I  have  long  wanted  to  gratify  my  revenge  on 
Frank  Howard  for  having  won  the  affection  of  the 
only  woman  I  ever  loved ;  here  is  my  opportunity." 

His  plans  were  soon  formed.  Tim  Desmond,  the 
night  watchman  of  the  bank,  lived  in  the  suburbs 
with  a  friend.  It  was  his  custom  to  go  on  duty  at 
6  p.  m.  every  evening,  and  remain  till  6  a.  m.  each 
morning.  He  had  a  key  to  a  rear  door  with  which 
he  gained  entrance.  James  Stone  was  familiar  with 
this,  and  the  route  traveled.  On  this  evening  he 
made  it  his  business  to  meet  Tim. 

"I  have  some  important  papers  to  look  at  tonight. 
The  president  left  some  unfinished,  that  he  wants 
me  to  prepare.  I  will  go  to  the  rear  door,  knock 
twice,  you  unlock  the  door  and  let  me  in.  Father 
wants  this  kept  a  secret.  You  might  lose  your  job 
if  he  heard  you  spoke  of  it." 

"I  will  be  as  dumb  as  an  oyster,"  spoke  Tim. 

Disguised  beyond  recognition,  James  Stone  made 
his  way  to  the  back  door,  and  gave  the  signal.  A 
key  rattled  in  the  lock,  a  whispered  "Who  is 
there?"  "All  right,  it's  I,  Tim."  The  door  swung 
open  and  James  Stone  entered.  He  had  removed  his 
false  dress,  and  secreted  it  outside.  He  had  waited 
until  he  thought  the  public  asleep.  The  time  was  ten 
minutes  past  one. 

149 


James  Stone  walked  straight  to  the  drawer  con- 
taining the  $40,000  package,  drew  from  his  pocket 
a  bunch  of  keys,  tried  them  until  he  found  one  that 
opened  the  lock.  The  money  was  there  just  as  the 
cashier  had  left  it.  To  transfer  the  package  to  his 
person  was  the  work  of  a  second.  He  first  ex- 
amined the  contents.  The  bills  were  of  a  large  de- 
nomination, one  thousand  each.  One  of  these  he 
drew  out.  Calling  to  Tim,  he  said : 

"This  is  pay  for  your  silence.  Remember,  no  one 
entered  or  left  the  bank.  Now  let  me  out." 

The  door  was  opened,  he  made  his  exit,  donned 
his  disguise  and  walked  to  his  lodgings. 

James  Stone  did  not  reside  with  his  parents. 
When  he  became  dissolute  and  kept  late  hours,  his 
father  told  him  to  practice  better  habits,  or  seek 
another  abode,  so  he  got  accommodations  elsewhere. 

Once  in  his  room  he  stored  the  money  in  his  trunk 
and  locked  the  same.  "Ha,  ha,"  he  chuckled.  "If 
this  night's  work  does  not  land  you  in  San  Quentin, 
Mr.  Howard ;  and  you,  my  fine  lady,  if  this  does  not 
cause  you  many  a  heart  scald  and  wring  tears  from 
those  pretty  eyes,  I  am  no  prophet.  You  rejected 
me  for  him.  Revenge  is  sweet,  and  I  will  have  it." 

The  following  day,  when  Tim  was  sent  for,  ap- 
peared before  the  directors,  and  learned  $40,000  was 
missing,  he  was  astounded.  When  given  the  $1000 
by  James  Stone,  his  Celtic  wit  reasoned  that  James 
had  done  something  not  on  the  square,  some  dirty 
work.  He  went  to  James'  habitation.  Once  inside, 
he  delivered  a  tirade : 

150 


"Jim  Stone,  you  are  laughing  in  your  sleeve  over 
how  you  hoodwinked  Tim  Desmond  with  that  story 
of  looking  at  papers  and  doing  business  for  your 
father.  You  must  think  I  am  easy,  to  be  satisfied 
with  $1,000  when  you  have  $39,000.  You  have  made 
a  cat's  paw  out  of  me.  Now  you  hand  over  $4,000 
more  or  I  will  go  to  the  directors  and  give  the  whole 
thing  away.  You  are  cunning  as  a  fox,  but  I  am 
not  asleep." 

"Look  here,  Tim  Desmond,  you  are  equally  as 
guilty  and  as  deep  in  the  robbery  as  I  am.  You 
have  $1,000  of  the  stolen  money  now,  which  would 
send  you  to  the  state's  prison.  You  want  $4,000 
more.  Well,  there  is  no  use  in  us  quarreling.  I  will 
give  you  that  sum,  but  you  must  not  bother  me  for 
any  more.  Remember,  I  did  the  brain  work  in 
this  scheme.  Here  is  the  money." 

Tim  expressed  satisfaction,  and  said  good  night. 
To  himself  he  mused :  "I  got  that  sum  easier  than 
I  expected.  I  should  have  hit  him  for  $10,000." 

Here  was  exhibited  the  avarice  in  some  men's 
nature.  The  conviction  and  sentence  of  Frank 
Howard  took  place.  James  Stone  was  in  ecstasy. 
These  were  his  thoughts:  "Howard  is  disgraced 
for  life.  She  has  fled  to  some  unknown  parts.  I 
am  avenged." 


151 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

JACK  CLANCY  SAVES  Two  LIVES. 

Miss  WILTON  RECEIVES  A  PROPOSAL,  BUT 
REFUSES. 

A  CHRISTMAS  ENTERTAINMENT  AT  SAW- 
YERS BAR. 

JACK  CLANCY  was  a  fine  specimen  of  manhood. 
His  age  was  34  years  ;  he  was  in  the  prime  of  his 
life.  The  summer  he  spent  chasing1  the  illusive 
Goddess  of  Fortune.  In  the  winter  season  he  ob- 
tained employment  in  some  operated  mine.  A  tun- 
nel six  hundred  feet  in  length  had  been  driven  into 
the  mountain,  and  the  ore  along  the  vein  extracted. 
At  this  distance  the  ledge  took  a  dip  of  33  degrees 
into  the  bowels  of  the  mountain.  An  incline  to 
pursue  the  quartz  was  sunk  400  feet.  Sixty  men 
were  at  work  along  this  incline.  A  furnace  and 
steam  engine  were  stationed  at  the  top  to  hoist  and 
lower  the  cars  by  means  of  a  cable.  It  was  sup- 
posed that  sparks  from  the  furnace  lighted  the  tim- 
ber of  a  combustible  nature.  If  there  is  one  thing 
above  another  that  strikes  terror  to  miners,  it  is  an 
underground  fire.  The  alarm  was  given,  the  men 
made  an  escape  out  into  the  open  air.  A  roll  call 
showed  all  present  except  one  man,  Chris  Winters. 
The  opinion  was  general  that  he  was  asphyxiated 
and  beyond  relief. 

152 


"Get  a  rope,  quick !"  came  from  Jack  Clancy. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do?"  asked  a  number  of 
men. 

"He  has  a  family;  I  will  make  an  effort  to  save 
him." 

"Why,  it's  suicide  to  venture  in  there  now,"  spoke 
the  miners. 

"Bring  the  longest  half-inch  rope  on  the  works; 
no  time  to  argue  now,"  said  Jack.  "If  I  begin  to  feel 
overcome,  I  will  tie  one  end  of  the  rope  under  my 
arms  around  my  body,  you  will  feel  the  rope  tighten ; 
then  haul  away." 

Jack  tied  a  wet  sponge  over  his  mouth  and  nos- 
trils; crouching  low,  he  entered  the  tunnel.  A 
volume  of  smoke  was  rolling  from  the  opening.  Jack 
carried  a  lantern  in  one  hand,  the  rope  in  the  other. 
He  made  rapid  headway.  After  a  painful  experience 
he  reached  the  station ;  he  could  go  no  further.  The 
fire  was  on  all  sides.  He  was  nearly  choked  with 
smoke,  and  thought  he  would  have  to  turn  back, 
when  he  sighted  an  object  prostrate  on  the  ground. 
He  knew  his  search  was  rewarded.  Hastily  tying 
the  rope  around  Chris,  he  gave  the  signal  agreed 
upon.  The  rope  tightened,  the  body  moved,  Jack 
followed.  Jack's  jumper  caught  fire.  Pulling  it  off, 
he  threw  it  behind,  and  struggled  on.  His  head  be- 
gan to  whirl,  he  staggered,  reeled  and  of  a  sudden, 
fell.  The  men  on  the  outside  did  their  part  so 
well  that  it  took  but  a  short  time  to  pull  Chris  Win- 
ters out  into  fresh  air.  The  men  knew  the  reason 
for  Jack's  non-appearance.  Willing  hands  seized 

153 


the  rope  and  -made  a  dash  into  the  tunnel.  They 
found  Jack  as  he  had  fallen.  They  soon  had  him 
out  where  he  could  inhale  the  pure  ozone.  Restora- 
tives were  applied.  Ere  long  both  men  regained 
consciousness.  Jack's  first  inquiry  was :  "Did 
Chris  come  to  all  right?"  A  woman  stepped  for- 
ward and  said :  "Yes,  my  benefactor,  his  wife  and 
four  children  are  ready  to  go  down  on  their  knees 
and  invoke  the  blessing  of  God  upon  your  head  for 
having  saved  their  husband  and  father." 

"Please,  none  of  that,  Mrs.  Winters.  Soft  words 
break  me  all  up." 

Jack  was  voted  a  hero,  and  was  the  idol  of  the 
miners.  The  fire  was  subdued  and  the  damage  re- 
paired. Jack  had  kept  company  with  Miss  Bartle 
for  a  year.  As  yet  they  had  not  plighted  their 
troth,  but  the  knowing  ones  foretold  a  wedding  in  the 
bye  and  bye.  After  her  arrival  he  had  met  and 
become  enamored  of  Miss  Wilton.  In  comparison, 
the  two  ladies  were  dissimilar.  The  teacher  was 
cultured  and  refined.  Her  ability  as  a  linguist,  her 
associating  with  the  "400"  in  society  made  her  at 
ease  in  any  company;  add  to  these  her  personal 
charms,  she  was  as  perfect  a  lady  as  could  be  met. 

Miss  Bartle  was  a  wild  rose,  a  product  of  the 
mountains.  She  had  not  enjoyed  the  advantages 
of  the  favored  lady.  She  was  deficient  in  those 
graces,  that  polish  of  -manner,  which  can  only  be 
acquired  by  contact  with  the  Bon  Tons. 

The  recherche  Jack  noted  the  discrepancies;  his 
ardor  cooled  for  Miss  Bartle.  He  transferred  his 

154 


affections  to  the  teacher.  Miss  Bartle  noted  the 
change  in  his  demeanor,  and  her  hatred  for  Miss 
Wilton  was  intensified. 

This  lady  perceived  Jack's  preference,  and  dis- 
couraged his  advances.  Her  aim  was  to  treat  him 
civilly,  not  to  wound  his  sensibility.  At  every  sight 
of  her,  his  infatuation  increased.  He  was  desper- 
ately in  love.  It  became  apparent  to  the  people,  and 
a  topic  for  debate. 

Accompanied  by  Katie  Fremont,  it  was  the 
teacher's  practice  to  take  a  stroll  of  a  few  miles  into 
the  country  on  Sunday  morning.  It  was  a  fine  day 
in  autumn.  They  had  meandered  along  the  thor- 
oughfare, when  the  teacher's  footsteps  were  arrested 
by  a  noise  directly  above  her  head.  To  her  it 
sounded  like  "whir-ir-ir."  Katie  looked  up, 
screamed : 

"A  rattle  snake  !  Oh,  Miss  Wilton,  a  rattle  snake ; 
run  for  your  life,  jump!" 

For  a  second  time  in  her  life  she  was  paralyzed 
with  fright,  unable  to  move.  The  rattle  snake  is 
no  respecter  of  persons ;  he  does  not  discriminate 
between  a  handsome  young  lady  or  a  burly  specimen 
of  the  genus  homo.  He  was  coiled ;  he  had  sounded 
the  danger  warning  with  his  rattles.  He  was  in  the 
act  of  springing  to  strike,  when  a  pistol  shot  rang 
out.  The  snake  writhing  and  quivering  in  the  throes 
of  death,  for  the  bullet  had  torn  its  head  off, 
rolled  down  the  slope  and  lay  almost  at  her  feet. 

Katie  was  tugging  at  her  arm,  yelling:  "Come 
away,  it  will  bite  you." 

155 


With  the  report  of  the  weapon  the  spell  was 
broken;  her  equanimity  restored.  She  looked  to  see 
from  what  direction  the  shot  had  come.  There 
stood  her  deliverer,  Jack  Clancy,  hat  in  one  hand, 
the  weapon  in  the  other. 

"Miss  Wilton,  I  am  overjoyed  that  I  was  in  time 
to  be  of  small  service." 

"For  the  second  time  my  existence  has  been  pro- 
longed at  the  opportune  moment.  The  first  occasion 
was  from  an  automobile.  In  both  instances  my 
blood  seemed  to  stagnate,  and  I  could  not  help  my- 
self. I  must  bear  a  charmed  life.  I  passed  through 
the  small  pox  unscathed.  Mr.  Clancy,  I  have  heard 
of  the  brave  deed  you  performed  at  the  burning 
mine;  I  am  the  second  person  you  have  saved.  I 
am  under  obligations  which  I  am  afraid  I  never 
can  repay." 

"Miss  Wilton,  you  can  more  than  repay  me.  You 
can  make  me  the  happiest  mortal  on  earth.  I  know 
I  am  not  worthy  of  you  and  it  seems  presumptuous 
to  aspire  so  far  above  me.  I  followed  you  inten- 
tionally today  to  learn  my  fate.  If  you  are  free,  if 
not  already  engaged,  I  pray  you  will  give  me  con- 
sideration, one  little  ray  of  hope.  Can  you,  will  you, 
be  my  wife?"  He  had  dropped  to  his  knees  and 
seized  her  hand.  Oblivious  of  Katie's  presence,  who 
stood  open-eyed  and  wondering,  he  poured  forth  the 
words  in  a  passionate  appeal. 

For  several  minutes  the  teacher  was  silent.  "Mr. 
Clancy,  I  hardly  know  how  to  couch  my  answer. 
This  is  the  most  serious  problem  that  has  ever 

156 


confronted  me.  I  regret  I  did  not  cause  my  engage- 
ment to  be  announced  on  my  arrival  in  Sawyers 
Bar ;  it  would  have  saved  pain  to  both  of  us.  The 
man  who  saved  my  life  in  the  first  instance  I  have 
promised  to  marry.  I  am  pledged  to  him  by  every 
sacred  tie  known  to  the  human  heart.  He  is  a 
noble  man,  the  soul  of  honor.  You  have  the  stuff 
in  you  of  which  heroes  are  made.  Go  to  Miss 
Bartle;  she  is  pining  for  your  love  and  will  make 
a  good  wife ;  try  to  be  happy  with  her  and  forget  me. 
Do  not,  I  beseech  you,  take  my  refusal  seriously. 
Let  us  retrace  our  steps." 

"One  minute,  please.  I  am  going  to  present  you 
with  a  souvenir  of  this  day."  Stooping  down  he  cut 
the  rattles  from  the  snake.  They  numbered  nine 
and  a  button.  Presenting  them  to  her,  he  said: 

"Keep  these  as  a  memento  of  Jack  Clancy  and 
what  might  have  been." 

She  accepted  the  gift  and  they  walked  back  in 
silence.  Her  thoughts  reverted  to  her  innocent 
lover,  serving  time  for  a  crime  he  was  not  guilty  of. 
At  the  gate  of  her  residence  she  extended  her  hand: 

"I  value  your  friendship  highly,  and  wish  to  re- 
tain it.  Let  us  be  the  same  as  before  today.  Is  it 
a  compact?" 

"Most  assuredly.  I  should  have  reasoned  better 
than  to  suppose  a  lady,  so  beautiful  and  good,  would 
be  free  from  suitors.  We  will  ignore  the  happen- 
ings and  remain  friends.  Good-bye,"  said  Jack. 

The  teacher  cautioned  Katie  not  to  mention  what 
she  had  seen  or  heard. 

157 


Christmas  was  approaching.  The  teacher  an- 
nounced to  the  scholars  that  there  would  be  no  clos- 
ing exercises  held  the  last  day  of  school,  but  an 
entertainment  would  be  given  in  the  Town  Hall  on 
Christ-mas  Eve.  For  her  to  advocate  a  measure  was 
to  have  it  adopted  by  the  community.  When  the 
lady  had  occasion  to  stroll  through  the  principal 
street,  every  male  biped  uncovered  his  head ;  a  fail- 
ure to  doff  his  hat  would  have  resulted  in  his  head 
gear  being  forcibly  removed  by  some  by-stander. 
The  individual  who  would  have  had  the  temerity 
to  make  an  uncomplimentary  remark,  or  even  inti- 
mate he  did  not  like  her,  would  have  found  some 
admirer  astride  his  neck  chewing  his  ear.  As  Foley 
said:  "She  is  the  Angel  of  Sawyers  Bar;  I  have 
never  seen  her  wings,  but  I  feel  sure  she  has  them/' 

The  teacher  set  to  work  selecting  and  assigning 
parts  to  the  children.  Some  were  to  declaim  ;  others 
were  to  take  part  in  dialogues  and  plays.  For  two 
weeks  she  had  them  rehearse  every  day.  The  school 
closed  for  the  term  three  days  before  Christmas. 
The  lady,  pupils,  and  Mr.  Foley,  decorated  the  Hall 
and  arranged  a  huge  Christmas  tree. 

The  evening  arrived.  The  tree  was  dazzling  in 
appearance,  illuminated  with  colored  lights  and 
loaded  to  its  fullest  capacity.  The  tiny  tots  spoke 
cute  pieces;  all  acquitted  themselves  very  credita- 
bly. Danny  O'Brien  read  a  composition,  the  title 
of  which  was  "Then  and  Now."  It  read  as  fol- 
lows: 

158 


"At  this  time  it  seems  fitting  that  a  glimpse  of 
the  past  may  not  be  amiss.  When  assisted  by  others 
we  were  responsible  for  the  undoing  of  some  able 
pedagogues.  I  shall  enumerate  th^  most  conspicu- 
ous acts  of  meanness.  For  several  terms  that  have 
faded  into  oblivion,  we  virtually  ruled  the  school. 
Our  books  or  studies  never  bothered  us.  It  was  fun 
or  mischief  we  were  looking  for.  One  day  in  the 
winter  season  I  climbed  to  the  top  of  the  building 
and  put  an  inverted  can  over  the  stove  pipe.  When 
the  teacher  came,  the  first  thing  he  did  was  to  fill 
the  stove  with  wood  and  start  a  fire.  The  stove 
began  to  smoke  and  soon  filled  the  room.  He  turned 
the  damper  one  way,  then  another,  but  it  was  no 
use;  he  was  at  a  loss  to  account  for  the  action  of 
the  stove.  A  girl  told  him  to  look  on  top  of  the 
pipe.  He  ascended  the  building,  removed  the  can. 
We  had  the  outlet  of  the  pipe  blocked  so  the  stove 
could  not  draw.  To  say  he  was  angry  would  be 
drawing  it  mild.  We  had  a  long  play  time  while  he 
was  working  to  get  the  stove  to  draw.  He  ques- 
tioned each  scholar,  but  nobody  did  it.  The 
younger  pupils  were  afraid  to  inform  on  us.  We 
had  them  intimidated. 

"Another  time  we  fixed  a  bucket  of  water  over 
the  door  so  that  the  slightest  jar  would  cause  it  to 
upset  the  contents  over  the  first  person  to  enter. 
We  posted  all  the  pupils  to  keep  away  from  the 
door.  It  worked  like  a  charm.  The  teacher  came, 
turned  the  knob,  pushed  open  the  door,  and  down 
the  bucket  and  water  came  all  over  him ;  he  was 

159 


wet  clear  through,  and  had  to  go  for  dry  apparel. 
This  gave  us  another  long  play.  For  this,  two  of 
us  were  suspended,  but  were  soon  re-instated.  One 
teacher  used  to  put  in  his  spare  time  splitting  wood. 
A  neighbor  of  mine  had  cut  a  fir  tree  from  which 
the  balsam  flowed  in  a  stream.  I  procured  a  small 
can  of  this  and  carried  it  to  school.  I  sneaked  into 
the  woodshed  and  smeared  the  ax  handle  good  and 
plenty.  It  was  of  a  white  color  and  not  easily  no- 
ticed. At  recess  the  teacher  sallied  out  to  the  shed, 
seized  the  ax  with  both  hands  and  made  a  swing  at 
a  block  of  wood.  When  he  tried  to  drop  the  ax  it 
refused  to  let  go.  It  stuck  to  him  closer  than  a 
poor  relation.  He  yelled  lustily ;  he  wrestled  around 
the  shed  and  finally  succeeded  in  freeing  himself 
from  its  loving  embrace.  We  were  watching  the 
performance  and  could  not  restrain  our  shouts  of 
laughter.  This  balsam  is  -more  adhesive  than  muci- 
lage. Coal  oil  is  the  only  remedy  that  will  remove 
this  sticky  substance.  As  there  was  none  handy, 
he  had  to  go  to  town.  This  afforded  us  another  long 
recess.  Three  of  us  were  expelled  for  this,  but  again 
we  were  taken  back. 

"You  have  all  heard  of  throwing  cayenne  pepper 
on  a  hot  stove.  We  practiced  this  on  one  tutor, 
who  became  so  aggrieved  that  he  threw  up  the  school 
at  the  end  of  two  weeks.  Hitting  a  teacher,  with  his 
back  turned,  with  big  wads  of  spit  balls  was  a  daily 
pastime.  We  never  knew  a  lesson  when  called 
upon  to  recite ;  we  told  the  pedagogue  it  was  too 
hard,  we  could  not  learn  it.  If  he  lectured  us,  we 

160 


would  grin  at  him.  We  cared  nothing  for  to  acquire 
knowledge. 

"It  was  a  stroke  of  good  policy  when  the  Trustees 
hired  Miss  Wilton.  We  started  our  pranks,  but  this 
lady  promptly  nipped  them  in  the  bud.  Of  course, 
we  could  not  continue  to  carry  on  indefinitely ;  there 
had  to  be  a  halt.  Through  kindness  and  love  we 
were  made  to  see  the  error  of  our  ways.  I  am 
heartily  ashamed  of  my  past  conduct.  If  I  could 
be  brought  face  to  face  with  each  teacher  whom  I 
helped  to  make  miserable,  I  would  tender  a  manly 
apology  and  impress  upon  them  that  I  was  sincere 
in  my  regrets.  I  can  truthfully  say  I  have  learned 
more  this  term  under  Miss  Wilton  than  I  did  in  four 
preceding  terms.  All  praise  to  the  lady.  These 
are  the  sentiments  of  my  schoolmates." 

The  teacher  being  called  upon,  recited: 

THE  OLD  FASHIONED  BOY 

"Oh  for  a  glimpse  of  a  natural  boy, 

A  boy  with  freckled  face. 
With  forehead  white  'neath  tangled  hair, 

And  limbs  devoid  of  grace. 

Whose  feet  toes  in  while  his  elbows  flare, 
Whose  knees  are  patched  always. 

Who  turns  as  red  as  a  lobster  when 
You  give  him  a  word  of  praise. 

161 


A  boy  who  is  born  with  an  appetite, 

Who  seeks  the  pantry  shelf 
To  eat  his  piece  with  sounding  smack; 

Who  isn't  gone  on  himself. 

A  Robinson  Crusoe  reading  boy, 

Whose  pockets  bulge  out  with  trash. 

Who  knows  the  use  of  rod  and  gun, 
And  where  the    brook  trout  splash. 

It's  true,  he'll  sit  in  the  easiest  chair, 
With  his  hat  on  his  touseled  head; 

That  his  hands  and  feet  are  everywhere, 
For  youth  must  have  room  to  spread. 

But  he  doesn't  dub  his  father  "Old  Man," 

Nor  deny  his  mother's  call; 
Nor  ridicule  what  his  elders  say, 

Or  think  that  he  knows  it  all. 

A  rough  and  wholesome  natural  boy, 

Of  good  old-fashioned  clay ; 
God  bless  him,  if  he's  still  on  earth, 

For  he'll  make  a  man  some  day." 

The  tree  was  loaded  with  gifts  and  the  distribu- 
tion took  place.  The  teacher  had  expended  ninety 
dollars  of  her  own  money  to  buy  presents  for  the 
children.  None  were  overlooked.  She  used  judg- 
ment and  bought  serviceable  articles.  The  exhi- 
bition was  the  finest  ever  seen  on  Salmon  River. 


162 


The  lady  received  a  number  of  presents ;  among  the 
list  was  a  nugget  of  gold  valued  at  $23.00;  a  card 
bore  the  inscription :  "From  the  Placer  Miners." 
This  she  prized  above  all  others. 

The  teacher  received  a  call  from  Miss  Bartle.  "I 
have  come  to  ask  your  forgiveness  and  beg  your 
pardon.  I  am  ashamed  of  my  despicable  actions; 
you  have  returned  good  for  evil.  Jack  Clancy  has 
told  me  all.  He  has  taken  your  advice,  and  we 
are  engaged ;  please  let  us  be  friends." 

"Yes,  we  should  have  good  will  towards  every  one 
this  blessed  Yule  Time.  Mr.  Clancy  is  a  fine  man 
and  I  am  pleased  he  has  returned  to  his  first  love," 
spoke  Miss  Wilton. 

"I  have  a  large  stock  of  dry  goods.  If  you  care 
to  enter  my  employ  and  preside  over  the  ladies'  de- 
partment, I  will  pay  you  a  good  salary,"  said  Mr. 
Davis. 

"When  not  at  work  I  suffer  from  ennui.  This  will 
occupy  my  time  during  vacation.  I  believe  in 
union  rules,  and  will  not  be  on  duty  more  than  eight 
hours,  or  remain  after  6  P.  M.  My  salary  will  be 
$50.00  per  month.  If  this  is  satisfactory,  I  will  be- 
come your  employee,"  spoke  the  teacher. 

"All  of  which  is  agreeable  to  me,"  said  the  mer- 
chant. He  instructed  her  in  the  cost  and  selling 
price  of  the  goods,  and  the  lady  entered  upon  the 
duties  of  a  saleslady. 


163 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

MR.  FOLEY'S  WONDERFUL  GREYHOUND,  AND 
WHAT  HAPPENED  TO  IT. 
How  SALMON  RIVER  GOT  ITS  NAME, 
AS  EXPLAINED  BY  MR.  FOLEY. 
THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  HOOK  BILL  SALMON. 

MISS  WILTON  and  her  betrothed  were  regular 
in  their  correspondence.  Each  week  she  wrote 
a  letter  and  received  one  in  return.  Frank 
Howard  grave  an  account  of  prison  life,  of  his  work  at 
the  Warden's  office.  That  he  did  not  mingle  with  the 
other  convicts.  That  all  things  considered,  he  was 
well  treated.  His  letters  were  in  a  hopeful  mood. 

Mrs.  Page  wrote  a  motherly  article.  It  pictured 
how  lonesome  the  good  woman  was.  How  she 
missed  May,  and  implored  her  to  return  to  "Old 
Aunty,"  and  comfort  her  declining  years,  as  soon  as 
possible. 

Foley  was  urged  to  relate  an  anecdote :  "I  owned 
a  greyhound,  in  the  middle  mines,  that  could  dis- 
count anything  for  speed  and  endurance  that 
boasted  four  legs.  He  was  a  large  dog,  bright  bay 
in  color.  You  all  know  a  deer  is  the  fleetest  animal 
that  roams  the  hills  or  dales.  Whenever  my  hound 
got  sight  of  a  deer,  it  was  all  off  with  the  venison. 
If  there  was  any  of  his  tribe  handy,  he  made  signs 

164 


to  his  relatives,  I  will  not  be  home.  The  swift 
footed  hare  and  rabbit  were  just  common  amuse- 
ment for  the  dog.  He  disdained  to  chase  squirrels 
or  small  game.  I  was  out  hunting  one  day  and  spied 
a  deer  in  the  distance.  The  hound  started  in  pur- 
suit; I  brought  up  the  rear.  The  deer  headed  for 
a  thick  belt  of  timber.  At  the  base  of  a  big  fir 
tree  lay  my  dog  in  two  halves,  quivering  and  gasp- 
ing. He  had  got  under  such  impetus  he  failed  to 
avoid  the  tree,  struck,  and  the  force  split  him  in 
two,  slick  and  clean,  just  as  if  it  had  been  done  with 
a  knife.  I  had  some  knowledge  of  surgery,  so  I 
picked  up  the  two  halves  and  hastily  joined  them 
together.  In  my  hurry  and  excitement,  I  reversed 
the  ends,  that  is,  I  put  half  the  head  and  a  half  the 
rear  in  company,  with  the  result  that  one  front 
and  one  hind  leg  were  on  the  ground,  whilst  the 
other  front  and  hind  legs  were  in  the  air  perpendi- 
cular. When  I  surveyed  the  job  and  saw  the  con- 
trast, I  was  inclined  to  rectify  the  error,  but  when 
I  examined  the  animal  I  perceived  he  was  breathing 
from  both  ends,  and  the  knitting  of  the  flesh  was 
taking  place,  so  I  concluded  to  let  him  go  as  he 
lay.  I  went  to  my  cabin,  got  some  food,  water  and 
a  blanket,  brought  these  to  where  my  hound  was, 
went  off  and  let  him  take  his  chances.  I  visited  him 
every  day  and  he  was  doing  fine.  On  the  fifth  day 
when  I  started  for  home  the  hound  ambled  along* 
after  me.  He  would  travel  on  half  of  him  for  a 
piece,  then  flop  over  on  the  opposite  side.  He  could 

165 


navigate  equally  well  on  either  half.  I  imagined 
his  hunting  days  were  over.  Not  so;  in  a  few 
days  he  was  up  to  his  old  tricks ;  he  was  not  so 
speedy  as  before  the  accident,  but  he  never  seemed 
to  tire;  could  run  indefinitely.  He  had  the  advan- 
tage of  being  able  to  see  all  ways,  straight  ahead, 
behind,  side-ways  and  cross-ways.  The  deer  knew 
him ;  when  one  saw  the  hound  chasing  him,  he 
stopped  and  awaited  the  slaughter.  The  deer  rea- 
soned, it's  no  use  to  resist,  that  hound  will  get  me 
sure.  I  might  as  well  yield  up  the  ghost;  I  am 
booked  for  the  happy  hunting  grounds,  so  just  break 
the  news  to  mother.  I  missed  my  hound  for  sev- 
eral days,  he  had  been  absent;  I  was  on  the  point 
of  searching  for  him,  when  I  read  in  the  morning 
paper  this  account :  'Two  hunters  shot  and  killed 
a  strange  looking  animal  yesterday  in  the  moun- 
tains not  far  from  here,  and  brought  the  carcass  to 
town.  It  was  chasing  a  deer.  Of  a  sudden  the 
venison  stopped,  seemingly  paralyzed  with  fear. 
The  hunters  say  this  strange  creature  would  run 
awhile  on  two  legs,  then  turn  a  somersault  and 
run  on  the  other  two  legs.  The  hunters  are  sober 
men;  it  is  hard  to  question  their  veracity.  As  he 
was  about  to  spring  on  the  deer  the  hunters  shot 
him.  When  examined,  it  was  apparent  nature  had 
deformed  the  beast.  Scientists,  who  inspected  the 
carcass,  say  it  is  a  monstrosity,  a  mammoth  Ichthy- 
ophagous, a  species  supposed  to  be  long  since  ex- 
tinct. It  will  be  given  to  a  taxidermist,  and  after- 

166 


wards  sent  to  the  Smithsonian  Institute  at  Wash- 
ington/ From  the  description,  I  recognized  my 
hound,  but  never  put  the  newspaper  wise. 

"Did  I  ever  tell  you  how  this  river  came  by  its 
name?  When  the  first  settlers  arrived  in  this 
section,  in  quest  of  gold,  there  were  no  bridges  or 
means  of  crossing.  Those  who  desired  to  gain  the 
opposite  side  were  compelled  to  swim,  or  remain 
where  they  were.  A  prospector,  leading  a  mule, 
was  anxious  to  gain  the  other  side.  It  was  the 
spring  of  the  year.  The  snow  in  the  mountains 
was  melting.  The  river  was  running  banks  full. 
With  the  rise  in  the  water,  a  run  of  salmon  began. 
The  stream  was  full,  school  upon  school,  a  solid 
body  of  them.  The  prospector  said :  'I  christen 
thee  Salmon  River/  As  he  gazed  a  brilliant  idea 
seized  him :  '  I  believe  that  mass  of  fish  will  sus- 
tain the  weight  of  myself  and  mule,  and  enable  us 
to  reach  the  other  side.  I'll  try  it/  Leading  the 
mule,  he  ventured  upon  the  backs  of  the  finny 
tribe ;  the  fish  seemed  to  take  a  pride  in  being 
used  as  a  bridge  and  arched  their  backs  higher,  to 
afford  dry  walking.  At  first  the  man  went  cautious- 
ly, but  as  the  weight  made  no  perceptible  depres- 
sion, or  sinking,  he  gained  confidence  and  moved 
rapidly  to  the  opposite  shore.  As  he  merged  on 
dry  land,  he  paused  for  a  few  minutes  to  express 
thanks  to  the  fish.  He  noted  that  not  even  were 
his  feet  wet.  The  mule  was  busy  taking  a  look 
backward ;  he  spied  a  big  salmon,  one  of  the  largest 

167 


of  its  species,  close  to  the  edge.  The  Hybrid  animal 
could  not  resist  its  inherent  nature  to  kick.  The 
big  fish  was  within  easy  range  of  its  hind  feet.  The 
mule  let  drive,  and  landed  fairly  on  the  snout  of  the 
salmon,  which  caused  its  bill  to  hook  or  bend. 
Before  making  the  acquaintance  of  the  -mule's  hind 
feet,  salmon  were  all  of  one  kind,  straight  bills ; 
since  that  encounter,  all  posterity  of  the  kicked 
fish  have  a  curve  in  their  nose  and  are  known  as 
Hook  Bill  Salmon,  as  a  lasting  reproach  to  the  mule ; 
but  that  long-eared  quadruped  did  not  seem  to  shed 
any  tears  over  it. 

"I  notice  my  friend,  Judge  Barnes,  is  present," 
said  Foley,  with  a  twinkle  of  his  eye.  "I  was  travel- 
ing once  and  came  to  a  town.  I  entered  the  leading 
hotel  in  search  of  something  to  appease  the  inner 
man.  A  burly  negro,  black  as  the  ace  of  spades, 
stepped  up,  and  enquired:  'Do  you  wish  dinner, 
sah?  If  so,  just  step  into  the  dining  room.  My 
wife  will  attend  to  your  wants/  I  walked  in,  ex- 
pecting to  see  a  colored  Aunt  Dinah,  but  was  dis- 
appointed. A  fine  looking  Caucasian  woman  came 
to  take  my  order.  I  asked  if  that  African  was  con- 
nected with  the  hotel.  'Why,  yes,  he  is  my  husband, 
and  the  proprietor/  'Your  husband/  I  repeated, 
'why,  that's  the  worst  I  ever  heard/  'My  sister 
did  much  worse  than  that;  she  -married  a  Missour- 
ian/ 

"A  woman  had  a  sick  boy  back  in  old  Missouri. 
She  sent  for  a  physician.  On  reaching  the  house, 

168 


the  M.  D.  felt  the  youth's  pulse,  and  said  'open  your 
mouth  and  let  -me  see  your  tongue.'  The  lad  gazed 
at  the  medical  man  bewildered.  He  repeated  the 
demand,  with  the  same  result.  The  mother  said: 
'Son,  open  thy  gob  and  stick  out  thy  lollicker.'  The 
mouth  opened  and  the  tongue  protruded.  'He  don't 
savey  your  lingo,  doctor,'  said  the  mother. 

"I  started  to  make  a  journey  that  would  consume 
the  major  part  of  a  day,  so  took  a  lunch  with  me. 
My  food  consisted  of  two  large  home-made  biscuits 
and  a  piece  of  meat.  I  tied  these  up  in  a^andcina, 
and  carried  it  in  my  hand.  As  I  was  passing  a 
neighbor's,  he  hailed  me  to  stop  and  chin  awhile. 
This  man  had  two  boys  old  enough  to  be  full  of 
mischief  and  curiosity.  They  were  named  Billy 
and  Jimmy.  I  laid  my  bundle  on  a  post,  and  sat 
on  the  porch  to  swap  yarns  with  the  father.  I 
noticed  the  youngsters  eyeing  my  parcel.  Directly 
they  edged  up  and  took  it  down,  and  proceeded  to 
undo  it.  They  spread  it  out  on  the  ground.  One 
said:  'What  do  you  think  it  is,  Billy,'  as  he  ex- 
amined one  of  my  biscuits.  'I  dunno,  Jimmy,  must 
be  a  turtle  or  terrapin.  Run  get  a  coal  of  fire  out 
of  the  stove,  and  we'll  make  him  walk.'  Jimmy 
brought  the  coal  of  fire  and  put  it  on  the  biscuit. 
'Now  blow,  Billy,  blow  hard  with  your  breath,  and 
when  it  gets  hot,  he'll  move.'  I  thought  it  was 
time  to  rescue  my  biscuit,  or  I  would  be  minus  a 
lunch.  I  went  to  them  and  said :  'Boys,  what  are 
you  trying  to  do?'  'We  want  to  -make  this  terrapin 

169 


walk,  he  is  playing  possum/  I  said :  'That's  no 
terrapin ;  it's  a  biscuit/  'Run  Jimmy,  come  away, 
it  might  go  off.  They  both  took  to  their  heels.  The 
father  came,  looked,  and  said :  'Them  is  some  like 
dodgers  my  mother  used  to  make  to  go  with  sop/ 
That's  the  Missouri  name  for  gravy  or  sauce.  'We 
wallop  the  dodgers  in  the  sop,  and  I  tell  you,  it's 
larrapin  good  truck,  neighbor/ 

"A  steamer  ascending  the  Mississippi  River  met 
a  flat  boat  descending.  The  Captain  of  the  steamer 
hailed  the  master  of  the  flat  boat :  'Ship  ahoy,  what 
are  you  loaded  with?'  'Lumber  and  fruit/  came  the 
response.  'What  kind  of  lumber  and  fruit,  and 
where  do  you  hail  from?'  'Hoop  poles  and  pump- 
kins; Pike  County,  Missouri.  Luff  away  on  that 
main  stay,  you  blasted  land  lubber/' 


170 


CHAPTER  XV. 

TIM  DESMOND  MAKES  A  CONFESSION. 
JAMES  STONE  ENDS  His  LIFE,  AND 
THUS  ESCAPES  TEMPORAL  PUNISH- 
MENT. 

FRANK    HOWARD    Is    PARDONED    AND 
RELEASED. 

TIM  DESMOND  was  a  firm  believer  in  the  Cath- 
olic Faith.  Every  Sunday  he  was  a  regular 
attendant  at  Church.  Dating"  from  his  intrigue 
with  James  Stone,  he  abandoned  his  religious  duties 
to  a  great  extent.  Six  months  had  flown  and  Tim 
had  only  been  seen  at  the  house  of  worship  twice. 
The  Priest  sought  him,  and  administered  a  rebuke  for 
his  lack  of  zeal. 

"You  have  neglected  your  duties.  Have  you  be- 
come a  backslider  or  an  apostate?"  He  urged  Tim 
to  come  back  into  the  fold  and  be  a  good  Christian. 

Tim  was  suffering  from  remorse  of  conscience. 
That  small  still  voice  that  comes  in  the  silent 
watches  of  the  night,  reproved  him  for  the  part  he 
had  taken  in  the  robbery.  He  feared  to  go  to  con- 
fession, and  this  duty  he  must  perform  before  he 
could  receive  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  One  year 
had  elapsed,  and  Tim  was  still  perverse.  The  pas- 
tor interviewed  him  once  more. 

171 


"My  dear  man,  if  you  have  done  some  act  you  are 
ashamed  of,  something  that  is  troubling  you,  make 
a  clean  breast  of  it  and  you  will  receive  forgiveness 
and  feel  relieved.  Remember  the  case  of  the  peni- 
tent thief  on  the  cross.  If  you  do  not  return  to  the 
Church  and  your  duties,  you  are  excommunicated 
ipso  facto." 

Tim's  conscience  and  the  entreaties  of  the  good 
Priest  were  a  combination  he  could  no  longer  re- 
sist. He  replied : 

"I  have  taken  part  in  a  crime  for  which  I  have 
been  tortured  by  anguish.  An  open  confession  is 
good  for  the  soul,  I  have  heard.  My  mind  is  made 
up.  Tomorrow  I  will  tell  you  all  and  be  guided  by 
your  counsel." 

"See  that  you  do,"  said  the  Priest. 

Tim  would  long  ere  this  have  given  to  the  author- 
ities a  statement  of  the  bank  robbery,  if  convinced 
of  immunity  from  prosecution.  Agreeable  to  prom- 
ise, he  repaired  to  the  Priest's  abode  and  avowed 
everything  in  relation  to  the  stealing  of  the  Forty 
Thousand  Dollars.  The  Priest  instructed  him  how 
to  proceed  to  obtain  clemency  for  himself.  He 
urged  him  to  use  haste  to  repair  the  wrong  and  have 
Frank  Howard  liberated. 

The  Sheriff  was  in  his  office  when  informed  that 
Mr.  Desmond  wished  to  see  him  on  private  busi- 
ness. 

"Show  him  in,"  said  the  official. 

"Well,  Tim,  what  can  I  do  for  you?" 

172 


"Frank  Howard  never  stole  that  money  for  which 
he  was  convicted.  I  know  who  did,  but  before  I 
deliver  the  proof,  I  must  have  a  promise  from  those 
in  authority,  that  the  accomplice  will  not  be  mo- 
lested." 

"I  will  send  for  the  District  Attorney  and  also 
Mr.  Howard's  attorney,"  spoke  the  sheriff.  A  tele- 
gram was  sent  Lawyer  Sweeney;  as  fast  as  boat 
and  cars  could  travel,  he  came.  When  all  had 
gathered  in  the  office,  Tim  made  the  same  proposal 
he  had  made  to  the  Sheriff. 

They  agreed  that  the  accessory  should  be  used  as 
State's  evidence  and  be  exempt  from  the  law.  Tim 
related  the  particulars  of  the  robbery.  He  had  no 
excuse  to  offer  for  his  part,  except  that  he  had  been 
duped  by  James  Stone's  plea  of  wanting  to  fix 
papers  for  the  President.  He  produced  the  Five 
Thousand  Dollars,  and  handed  the  money  to  the 
Sheriff.  His  confession  was  reduced  to  writing, 
signed  and  sworn  to  before  a  Notary  Public.  Tim 
was  told  he  might  go  his  way. 

A  complaint  was  sworn  to  by  Attorney  Sweeney, 
a  warrant  issued  and  placed  in  the  hands  of  the 
Sheriff  for  the  arrest  of  James  Stone. 

Armed  with  Tim's  confession  and  a  letter  from 
the  Sheriff,  Attorney  Sweeney  boarded  the  first 
train  for  Sacramento  to  lay  the  evidence  before  the 
Governor  and  secure  a  pardon  for  Frank  Howard. 
The  spectacle  of  the  Sheriff  at  the  bank  was  some- 
thing extraordinary.  He  enquired  for  James  Stone. 

173 


That  individual  stepped  to  the  counter.  In  a  sub- 
dued tone  of  voice  the  officer  acquainted  him  with 
the  facts  in  his  possession. 

"I  advise  you  to  submit  quietly  to  arrest,  and  not 
cause  a  scene.  I  am  prepared  to  take  you." 

"Excuse  me  to  put  away  the  books,  and  I  will  be 
ready/'  said  James  Stone. 

The  Sheriff  nodded  assent.  He  was  not  prepared 
for  what  ensued.  James  Stone  returned  to  his  place 
hastily,  arranged  affairs,  then  stepped  behind  the 
desk,  where  he  was  obscured  from  view.  From  a 
pocket  he  drew  a  four-ounce  phial  of  carbolic  acid, 
placed  it  to  his  mouth  and  drained  the  contents.  He 
staggered  into  sight.  The  empty  bottle  had  fallen 
to  the  floor.  The  Sheriff  and  bank  employees  hur- 
ried to  his  side.  He  would  have  fallen,  but  gentle 
hands  placed  him  upon  an  improvised  couch;  a 
physician  and  the  ambulance  were  summoned,  but 
before  these  arrived  James  Stone's  spirit  had  gone 
to  answer  before  a  higher  tribunal  than  any  on  this 
mundane  sphere.  His  last  words  were : 

"They  will  never  arrest  me." 

The  President  ordered  the  bank  closed  and  busi- 
ness suspended.  As  soon  as  the  body  was  removed 
to  the  morgue,  the  coroner  impaneled  a  jury,  who 
rendered  a  verdict  of  suicide.  In  the  pocket  of 
James  Stone's  coat  was  found  a  document  which 
read: 

"Realizing  that  my  secret  may  be  divulged,  I  am 
prepared  for  that  emergency.  In  my  trunk  in  the 

174 


rooms  I  occupy  will  be  found  what  remains  of  the 
Thirty  Five  Thousand  Dollars.  How  I  have  spent 
the  balance  is  nobody's  business.  I  am  not  a  thief 
by  nature.  I  saw  a  chance  to  be  revenged  on  Frank 
Howard,  and  I  took  it.  My  mother  is  the  only  one 
for  whom  I  have  any  regrets  if  discovered ;  the  blow 
will  fall  heavily  on  her.  My  father  I  care  nothing 
for.  The  opinion  of  the  public  does  not  concern 
me.  I  will  never  be  taken  alive.  Signed,  James 
Stone." 

An  examination  of  the  trunk  disclosed  Twenty- 
three  Thousand  Dollars ;  the  remainder  of  $12,- 
ooo  had  been  spent  playing  the  races.  The  coroner 
took  charge  of  this  sum  and  turned  it  over  to  the 
bank  directors. 

On  reaching  the  Capital  City,  Attorney  Sweeney 
was  handed  a  telegram  apprising  him  of  the  suicide. 
He  had  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  a  full  pardon  for 
Frank  Howard  from  the  Chief  Executive.  His  next 
move  was  towards  San  Quentin.  Arrived  there, 
he  delivered  the  papers.  The  Warden  honored  them 
and  told  Frank  Howard  he  was  a  free  man.  His 
personal  belongings  were  restored,  he  donned  his 
citizen's  clothes,  and  drew  forth  a  handsome  gold 
ring,  presented  it  to  the  Warden,  saying : 

"Keep  this  as  a  remembrance  of  my  gratitude  for 
your  humane  treatment." 

"I  never  believed  you  guilty ;  I  shared  the  opinion 
of  the  judge,  who  was  forced  to  impose  sentence  on 
you.  It  is  just  twelve  months  and  nine  days  since 

175 


you  became  an  inmate  of  this  institution,"  said  the 
Warden.  "Now  good-bye,  and  may  good  luck  at- 
tend you." 

Frank  Howard  stepped  into  the  open.  The  doors 
clanged  behind  him.  He  exclaimed : 

"Liberty,  no  man  knows  what  a  priceless  treasure 
thou  art  until  he  has  been  deprived  of  thee;  this 
glorious  sunshine,  yon  blue  sky ;  this  health  giving 
ozone,  and  freedom  to  go  where  you  please ;  all  these 
benefits  are  denied  the  unfortunates  confined  in  this 
prison." 

Mr.  Howard  and  Attorney  Sweeney  took  passage 
on  the  boat,  and  by  6  p.  m.  were  in  San  Francisco. 

"For  the  parents  of  James  Stone  I  have  sincere 
sympathy;  this  disgrace  will  be  hard  for  them  to 
bear,"  said  Frank  Howard. 

His  first  deed  was  to  send  a  message  to  his  affi- 
anced, Miss  May  Wilton ;  it  read : 

"Am  free,  expect  me  in  a  few  days." 

He  crossed  the  Bay  and  went  direct  to  the  home 
of  his  parents.  They  were  expecting  him  and  were 
over-joyed  at  his  release  and  the  establishing  of  his 
innocence.  Frank  received  many  messages  of  con- 
gratulation. The  newspapers  that  evening  con- 
tained a  complete  account  of  the  crime  and  expose 
of  the  real  culprits.  The  following  morning  Mr. 
Howard  received  an  urgent  communication  from 
President  Stone  to  call  at  his  residence.  He  went, 
and  was  grieved  at  the  change.  Mr.  Stone  looked 
twenty  years  older.  As  they  clasped  hands,  he  said  : 

176 


"No  one  rejoices  at  your  vindication  more  than  I 
do,  but  oh,  Frank,  at  what  a  cost  to  my  wife  and  me. 
The  pain,  the  disgrace  that  recoils  on  us  is  almost 
more  than  we  can  bear.  Tell  me,  was  it  my  son 
whom  you  suspected  from  the  first?" 

"Yes,  Mr.  Stone.  The  lady  to  whom  I  am  en- 
gaged to  be  married  had  rejected  James;  this  em- 
bittered him  against  me.  Next,  he  was  the  only 
person  who  knew  of  the  money  being  in  the  drawer 
that  night,  outside  of  Mr.  Bailey  and  myself.  His 
hatred  towards  me  was  observed  by  others.  For 
these  reasons  I  felt  he  was  the  guilty  one." 

"Frank,  why  did  you  not  tell  me ;  I  might  have 
averted  this  calamity." 

"Mr.  Stone,  bear  in  mind  that  what  I  have  told 
was  only  an  opinion,  and  opinions  do  not  stand  in 
law.  Had  I  intimated  to  you  my  belief,  you  would 
have  been  incredulous ;  besides,  I  had  a  high  re- 
gard for  you,  and  did  not  wish  to  wound  your  feel- 
ings.'' 

"Frank,  I  have  decided  to  retire  from  business 
life.  I  am  going  to  resign  the  Presidency  of  the 
bank  in  your  favor.  I  cannot  bear  to  appear  in  pub- 
lic. My  wife  is  under  the  care  of  a  physician ;  he 
has  grave  fears  for  her  recovery.  I  have  a  farm 
in  the  country  and  will  seek  its  seclusion.  If  the 
position  of  President  be  tendered,  will  you  accept?" 

"Mr.  Stone,  the  office  is  an  enviable  one.  Any 
man  would  be  proud  to  be  the  recipient  of  such 
a  high  honor.  If  it  is  given  me  spontaneously  I  will 

177 


accept  it.  I  have  private  business  that  will  consume 
my  time  for  a  few  days;  in  fact,  I  expect  to  be  a 
happy  benedict." 

"On  your  return,  call  on  me,  and  the  matter 
spoken  of  will  be  arranged  to  our  satisfaction,"  said 
Mr.  Stone. 

Frank  Howard  took  his  leave.  He  went  direct  to 
see  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Page,  where  he  received  an  af- 
fectionate welcome.  He  told  the  aunt  and  uncle  that 
he  would  start  that  evening  for  the  purpose  of  bring- 
ing Miss  May  Wilton  home,  and  their  wedding 
would  follow. 


178 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Two  HEARTS  ARE  RE-UNITED.— A  WEDDING 
AT  SAWYERS  BAR. 

FRANK  HOWARD  ASSUMES  THE  POSITION 
OF  BANK  PRESIDENT. 

FOR  more  than  four  months  Miss  Wilton  had 
been  employed  as  saleslady,  when  one  day 
she  received  a  telegram  from  Frank  Howard; 
in  her  exultation  she  showed  the  message  to  Mr. Davis. 

"I  am  both  pleased  and  grieved,"  said  the  mer- 
chant. "Your  joy  in  the  release  of  Mr.  Howard, 
which  should  over-shadow  every  other  sentiment, 
I  share  with  you,  but  it  pains  me  to  know  we  shall 
lose  you.  I  have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  I  was 
justified  in  bringing  you  here.  You  have  proved 
a  worthy  disciplinarian.  Miss  Wilton,  I  wish  you 
had  a  sister  or  even  a  prototype.  If  such  were  the 
case,  I  would  soon  be  a  married  man,  with  the  con- 
sent of  the  lady." 

"It  will  require  an  effort  to  sever  the  associations 
formed  in  this  community.  Everybody  has  been 
kind  and  lent  -me  valuable  support.  My  dear  aunt 
has  been  a  mother  to  me,  and  my  first  consideration 
must  be  for  her." 

Two  days  later  Mr.  Frank  Howard  reached  Saw- 
yers Bar.  The  reader  can  picture  in  his  mind's 

179 


eye  the  meeting  between  the  lovers  after  a  separa- 
tion of  twelve  months  and  a  half.  The  news  went 
out  that  the  school  was  to  lose  its  teacher;  that 
her  intended  husband  had  come  to  take  her  away. 
A  meeting  of  the  citizens  was  held  and  the  condi- 
tion discussed.  The  sentiment  was  in  favor  of  hav- 
ing the  marriage  ceremony  performed  in  the  town. 
A  committee  of  three  was  appointed  to  wait  on  the 
lady  and  Mr.  Howard,  and  inform  them  of  the 
wishes  of  the  people  and  gain  their  assent.  Mr. 
Davis,  Claw  Hammer  Pete  and  Live  Oak  Jack 
comprised  the  committee.  They  sought  the  resi- 
dence of  the  teacher,  and  Mr.  Davis  made  known 
their  errand.  Mr.  Howard  told  them  Miss  Wilton 
could  decide.  The  lady  said : 

"Gentlemen,  I  yield,  in  recognition  of  the  many 
friends  I  have  made,  and  the  affection  I  feel  towards 
the  whole  country.  We  will  be  married  here." 

Calling  Mr.  Howard  aside,  Claw  Hammer  Pete 
spoke : 

"Partner,  we  are  all  going  to  chip  in  and  make 
this  a  big  pot.  There  will  be  no  passing  the  buck; 
everyone  has  got  to  ante  and  play  his  hand.  I 
reckon  as  how  you'll  have  the  pop  hand  and  carry 
off  the  prize,  but  we'll  have  a  square  shuffle,  cut 
and  deal,  and  a  big  whoop  'em  up  time." 

"Yes,  we'll  have  a  blow-out  that  will  astonish 
the  natives.  Red  fire,  string  band,  big  eat,  and 
shake  your  leg.  Every  man  must  wear  store 
clothes,  a  boiled  shirt,  and  have  a  clean  bandana. 

180 


We'll  have  three  kinds  of  pie,  bald  face,  open  face, 
and  covered.  Real  oyster  soup  with  milk  in  it. 
There's  nothing  too  good  for  you-uns,  and  we-uns 
will  set  'em  up  again,"  said  Live  Oak  Jack. 

So  it  was  settled.  A  courier  was  dispatched  to 
Yreka  for  the  license.  The  Town  Hall  was  -taste- 
fully decorated  for  the  wedding.  A  dance  was  to 
follow  and  supper  served  at  the  hotel.  In  twenty- 
four  hours  the  man  with  the  license  returned. 
Notice  had  been  sent  to  the  surrounding  country 
that  the  jollification  would  take  place  that  evening. 

At  8  P.  M.  the  organ  pealed  forth  a  wedding 
march.  The  bridal  party  entered  and  took  their 
respective  places.  Judge  Barnes  was  radiant  in 
evening  dress.  His  dignified  presence  befitted  the 
occasion.  Miss  Bartle  was  bridesmaid,  Mr.  Clancy 
best  man,  and  Mr.  Davis  gave  the  bride  away. 
They  were  the  handsomest  couple  ever  married  at 
Sawyers  Bar. 

"This  wedding  gives  an  eclat  (that's  French)  to 
the  whole  town,"  spoke  Mr.  Foley. 

After  the  words,  "I  pronounce  you  man  and  wife," 
the  Judge  stole  a  kiss  from  the  pretty  lips  of  the 
bride. 

"You  never  learned  that  in  Missouri.  There's  no 
'show  me'  about  that  performance,"  said  Foley. 

After  the  congratulations,  all  adjourned  to  the 
ball  room.  The  bride  was  besieged  for  dances.  She 
favored  each  in  turn.  At  midnight  all  sat  down  to 
the  festal  board. 

181 


"I  propose  the  health  and  prosperity  of  the  bride 
and  bridegroom,"  said  the  merchant.  It  was  re- 
sponded to  with  a  cheer. 

"Ladies  and  gentlemen:  We  meet  people  to 
whom  we  become  strongly  attached.  When  these 
tender  interests  are  about  to  be  torn  asunder,  when 
we  are  about  to  separate,  it  creates  a  sad  feeling. 
When  we  come  in  contact  with  refined  people,  it 
leaves  an  impression;  we  feel  better.  Mrs.  Howard 
has  accomplished  wonders  with  our  school,  which 
will  suffer  an  irreparable  loss." 

"I  never  lived  in  a  place  where  I  was  better 
treated.  I  can  never  forget  the  people  of  Salmon 
River.  I  shall  visit  you  for  an  outing  some  time, 
and  renew  our  friendship,"  said  Mrs.  Howard. 
"Mr.  Foley,  let  us  hear  from  you." 

"I  will  read  you  a  clipping  from  an  Arizona 
paper:  'Spread  of  style  in  Arizona.  Every  symp- 
tom points  to  a  tendency  to  spread  of  style  in  Tomb- 
stone. Among  other  instances  in  this  direction,  the 
boys  bought  a  pair  of  beautiful  barber  pole  sus- 
penders and  presented  them  to  the  amiable  dis- 
penser who  shoves  the  amber  extract  of  cheerful- 
ness over  the  mahogany  of  the  Parlor  Saloon.  He 
promptly  donned  the  innovation,  but  claimed  that 
he  felt  like  he  had  a  fence  rail  on  each  shoulder; 
then  when  they  became  over-burdensome,  he  would 
unbutton  them  and  permit  them  to  dangle  in  front, 
but  he  finally  got  them  down  fine  enough  to  go  to 
church  in.  Several  old-timers  conspicuously  court- 

182 


ing  attendants  from  the  other  end  of  the  County 
have  fallen  into  the  habit  of  wearing  boiled  shirts, 
and  it  looks  as  if  sky-blue  overalls  might  be  dis- 
carded as  a  full  dress  costume.  "Getting  powerful 
tony"  in  town  nowadays/ 

"The  above  aptly  describes  the  conditions  that 
existed  in  this  burg  twenty-five  years  ago.  The 
following  incident  will  illustrate  an  Eastern  syndi- 
cate who  were  the  prospective  buyers  of  a  group 
of  -mines.  They  sent  out  an  expert  to  examine  and 
report.  He  was  a  dapper  little  fellow,  sort  of  dude. 
The  boys  took  exceptions  to  his  \  ersonal  appearance 
and  more  particularly  to  his  wearing  apparel.  He 
wore  a  tall  hat,  broadcloth  suit,  an  immaculate  white 
shirt  with  a  diamond  in  the  bosom,  patent  leather 
shoes,  and  carried  a  gold  headed  cane;  a  swallow 
tailed  coat,  which  he  exhibited,  and  the  first  of  its 
kind  seen  here,  excited  the  derision  of  the  boys. 
An  impromptu  gathering  debated  the  novelties  and 
resolved  to  take  action.  Buckskin  Bill  was  spokes- 
man. 'Are  we  going  to  allow  them  new  fangled 
garments  to  parade  and  flourish  in  our  midst?  That 
stove  pipe,  chimney  peak  hat  looks  just  like  a 
monument  a  locator  erects  on  one  corner  of  a  quartz 
ledge.  That  spike  tail  coat,  looks  like  the  man  who 
made  it  was  short  of  material  and  run  it  through  to 
a  point,  and  them  shiny  leather  shoes  are  too  dainty 
for  this  terra  firma  (I  have  to  inject  a  little  Latin; 
my  knowledge  of  the  Dead  languages  is  something 
fierce,  said  Foley).  These  articles  enumerated  can- 

183 


not  mingle  with  our  toggery.  The  shades  of  Pioneers 
echo,  No  F  A  dance  was  given  on  Saturday  evening. 
The  boys  were  more  than  liberal  in  their  invitations 
to  imbibe,  but  the  expert  said  he  never  indulged. 
The  boys'  idea  was  to  get  him  intoxicated,  but  he 
was  wary.  At  supper  time  the  opportunity  came. 
They  obtained  the  hat ;  the  first  thing  was  to  paint 
it  green;  then  they  placed  it  on  the  end  of  a  pole 
and  marched  from  one  end  of  town  to  the  other, 
singing,  '  'Tis  a  relic  of  old  decency,  that  hat  my 
father  wore.'  By  way  of  diversion,  someone  would 
out  with  his  gun  and  shoot  a  hole  through  the  head- 
gear. At  every  saloon  they  would  line  up  at  the 
bar  and  address  the  hat  thus :  'Will  you  join  us  in 
a  little  liquid  refreshment?'  When  they  had  a  sur- 
feit of  this  kind  of  fun,  they  carried  the  hat  to 
where  stood  the  flag-staff,  ran  one  of  the  halyards 
through  the  stove  pipe  and  hoisted  it  half  way  up ; 
in  that  way  they  left  it.  In  the  morning  it  was 
visible  at  half  mast.  To  any  one  who  enquired,  the 
answer  was :  'Oh,  the  hat  died  last  night/ 

"The  expert  was  mad  as  a  hornet,  but  concluded 
silence  was  the  better  part  of  valor.  He  hastily 
departed.  On  arriving  in  the  East,  he  characterized 
the  men  here  as  'desperadoes  and  bad  men  from 
away  back/ 

"I  have  a  little  doggerel  composed  for  the  occa- 
sion," said  Foley: 

184 


"It  must  be  sweet  as  life's  pathway  you  tread, 
To  know  you  are  loved  and  just  been  wed 
To  the  lady  of  your  choice,  one  who  through  life 
Will  be  to  you  a  helpmate,  a  dear,  happy  wife. 

Should  sorrow  or  trouble  retard  your  progress, 
Smile  and  look  pleasant,  your  wifey  caress. 
She'll  give  you  her  whole  heart, 
I  pray  give  her  thee  and  thine, 
And  you'll  be  happy  as  pigs  in  clover, 
'In  the  good  old  summer  time/  " 

This  ended  the  festivities.  As  they  had  assembled 
to  welcome  the  lady  on  her  arrival,  so  the  people 
gathered  to  bid  herself  and  husband  God-speed,  and 
see  them  depart.  A  private  conveyance  was  se- 
cured, and  amidst  a  shower  of  rice  and  the  throwing 
of  old  slippers,  hand-shaking  and  farewells,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Howard  bid  adieu  to  the  good  folks  of  Salmon 
River. 

As  Claw  Hammer  Pete  remarked  :  "The  wedding 
was  a  red  letter  day  in  the  history  of  Sawyers  Bar." 

In  safety  they  reached  Oakland  and  went  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Page's,  their  home  for  the  future. 

Mr.  Howard  called  to  see  Mr.  Stone  the  next 
day.  That  gentleman  told  Frank  his  resignation 
was  in  the  hands  of  the  directors,  and  that  they 
were  all  agreed  to  offer  the  presidency  of  the  bank 
to  Mr.  Howard.  "They  seem  anxious  to  make 
amends  for  the  injustice  done  you,"  said  Mr.  Stone. 

185 


"I  do  not  care  to  assume  the  function  for  a  week. 
I  have  just  been  married  and  wish  to  enjoy  the 
honeymoon/'  spoke  Mr.  Howard. 

At  the  expiration  of  the  period,  Mr.  Howard 
sought  the  bank  and  was  elected  to  its  highest 
office.  The  directors  were  profuse  in  their  apologies 
for  the  course  pursued  by  them.  Frank  accepted 
all  with  a  good  grace. 

"My  first  act  will  be  to  restore  Tim  Desmond 
in  his  old  position.  He  has  had  a  lesson,  and  I  will 
vouch  for  him."  The  directors  offered  no  objection, 
so  Mr.  Frank  Howard,  President  of  the  Corn  and 
Exchange  bank,  took  charge. 

Attorney  Sweeney,  who  so  faithfully  espoused  his 
cause,  was  asked  to  name  his  fee. 

"I  will  be  satisfied  with  whatever  you  please  to 
give." 

Mr.  Howard  paid  him  one  thousand  dollars. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Howard  had  their  adversity ;  now 
they  are  reaping  their  reward,  prosperity. 

FINIS. 


186 


